The Hokuriku Declaration,
26 October 2007

In recognition of the economic importance ofHokuriku, its geographical position andeconomic base for promoting communicationand cooperation in the Northeast Asian region,
the Hokuriku Economic Federation, Hokuriku
AJEC, and the Northeast Asia Economic Forum(NEAEF) - together with Toyama Prefecture,
Toyama City, and the Institute for International
Studies and Training - have jointly organized theSixteenth Meeting of the NEAEF in Toyama City,
Japan on 25-26 October 2007. Our agenda
included important and informative sessions
regarding the environment, energy, andtransportation and logistics.

Participants in Session 1 (Environment)
confirmed the importance of “establishingsustainable economy and society” as a common
agenda for the countries in Northeast Asia, an
area with rapid economic growth, population
growth and concerns of multi-layered
environmental deterioration across nationalborders.
It is necessary to recognize the preservation of
the global environment and the solution ofvarious regional environmental problems as acommon goal of the Northeast Asian region, andto promote cooperation among the Northeast
Asian countries to construct societies of lowcarbon use, recycling, living with nature, andsafety and comfort.

Anticipating the movement toward further regional
economic integration, participants recognize theimportance of developing cooperative partnerships
between public and private, extending common
efforts of environmental monitoring, sharing
environmental information, encouraging humanresource development for the improvement ofregional environmental governance, and thepromotion of technological development andtechnical cooperation for environmental regional
integration in the formation of international
resource circulation systems, in the framework of
an industry-academia-government partnership.

Participants agreed that it is required to examine
financial schemes to promote these endeavors.
General agreement was reached in assuming ourresponsibility to develop and preserve
environmental resources in Northeast Asia forfuture generations.

Participants in Session 2 (Energy) reconfirmed
the important role of energy for economic
development and security in Northeast Asia.
Growth of energy demand is anticipated withthe regional continuous economic growth inNortheast Asia. It is important to increaseenergy supply, and it is further important toimprove energy efficiency. China and Mongolia,
in particular, have large potential capacities forenergy conservation and alternative energy
development.

General agreement was obtained in recognizingthat the improvement of energy efficiency andpromotion of nuclear energy with special
attention to non-proliferation and otheralternative energy resources would benefit not
only Northeast Asian economies but also theworld economy.

The Forum recognized and that it is essential tostrengthen cooperation in Northeast Asia in orderto realize these goals.
The expectation that the knowledge, experience,
and advanced efforts of the Hokuriku region on
both energy conservation and nuclear and otheralternative energy resources would play a majorrole in energy cooperation in Northeast Asian
countries was expressed.
Regarding nuclear energy, Hokuriku is committed
to become a base for human resource
development to establish nuclear safety
technology in Northeast Asia.

In Session 3 (Transportation and Logistics), theparticipants agreed that it is essential to pursue
the development of common strategies oftransportation and logistics, and to promotecomplementary transportation systems.
Hokuriku is strategically located at theintersection of the Pacific Ocean, the Japaneseislands, and the Eurasian continent, and it could
serve as the entrance to the rapidly-growing
northeastern China, Mongolia, and even to Eastern
European countries through ground transportationsuch as the Trans-Siberian railway.

The participants recognized that, as a future effort,
it is necessary to examine and coordinate theconstruction of a new comprehensive logistics
system in Northeast Asia through cooperation
among the countries in the region.

With regard to development financing,participants welcomed the Joint Statement of theFourth Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee forestablishing Northeast Asian Bank, which washeld in Tianjin, China, on 25 July 2007.
Participants also agreed that the Northeast Asia
Economic Forum should continue its efforts
toward the establishment of this Bank, such as
establishing a financial research center.

The Young Leaders Training and Research
Program (YLP) was held at the University ofToyama from 14 October through 27 October as apart of the NEAEF activities to support researchand to develop strong networks by young leadersregarding challenges and progress in regional
economic cooperation in Northeast Asia.

The Forum participants appreciated theachievement of the 32 participants in the YLP,
recognized the positive contribution of the YLP
toward peace and prosperity in Northeast Asiancountries, and expressed the hope that theYoung Leaders Program would continue alongwith the Forum’s annual conference.

The Forum accepted with gratitude theinvitation of Mr. Wang Shuzu, Vice Chairman ofthe Standing Committee of Tianjin People’sCongress, on behalf of the Tianjin Municipal
Government, to host the Seventeenth Forum inTianjin, China, in the autumn of 2008.

NEAEF and its participants celebrated the 40thanniversary of the Hokuriku Economic Federation,and expressed their gratitude for the important
contributions made by the Hokuriku Economic
Federation, the Hokuriku Electric Power Company,Hokuriku AJEC, Toyama Prefecture, Toyama City,and the Institute of International Studies andTraining in hosting and supporting the Sixteenth
Meeting of the NEAEF, in cooperation with theJapan Committee for the Promotion of the Asian
Energy Community, the Northeast Asia Project
Development Center, the University of Toyama, theUniversity of California at Berkeley’s East Asia
Program, the Tianjin Municipal Government, theBOGO Economic Research Institute, the Beijing
Institute for Frontier Science, the Korea Energy
Economics Institute, the China Asia Pacific Institute,
the Korea Asia Pacific Institute, and the Universityof Hawaii College of Social Sciences.

The participants warmly thanked theHokuriku Economic Federation andHokuriku AJEC for their hospitality andefficient implementation of this meeting.