TOKYO: Parliamentary speakers of the Group of 20 major advanced and emerging economies have held a meeting in Japan for the first time.

In the meeting held at the office building of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, in Tokyo on Monday, participants discussed mainly fair trade and investment promotion.

Their meeting ended with a joint statement in which they called for exercising self-restraint in taking protectionist measures.

At the opening ceremony of the meeting, Japanese Upper House President Akiko Santo said, "The significant role of the meeting (on Monday) is to hold thorough discussions so that parliamentary members of the G-20 nations can share their knowledge and find policies rooted in the mindset of the general public."

Participants included South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, who demanded in February an apology from Japan's Emperor over the issue of Korean comfort women forced into prostitution for Japanese soldiers before and during World War II.

Santo did not hold separate talks with Moon, after receiving no satisfactory response from him to her request to withdraw and apologize for his demand for the Emperor's apology.

The Japanese parliamentary speaker also made no contact with Moon during the G-20 meeting.

JIJI Press