To its credit, Japan has committed to the purchase of two more Aegis destroyers in the current Mid-Term Defense Plan with one each to be procured in 2002 and 2003.
Both the UNESCO and the IFLA representatives announced that their Organizations will very shortly establish a mid-term strategic plan of cooperation for covering areas such as libraries and community access, information literacy and the role of libraries to ensure cultural diversity.
Mr. Abe is scheduled to release the outlines of his long-term growth plan in mid-June, but announcements from officials about the likely contents have suggested the blueprint will be vague, at best.