OSAKA--8 Dec--Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/InfoQuest Asian Business Women's Forum, Asian Small & Medium-sized Business Forum The Osaka Prefectural Government hosted two international meetings - "Asian Business Women's Forum" (Nov. 29-30) and "Asian Small and Medium-sized Business Forum" (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) in a bid to appeal to the world the vigor of "women"and "smaller businesses," the key to Asian economic development. At the meetings, businesswomen, managers of smaller businesses and policymakers active in the front lines of Asian countries discussed ways of expanding business exchanges in Asia. After that, participants in the women's forum adopted proposals calling for "support to women playing active roles in society" and "creation of an environment supporting women's active roles." Participants in the smaller business forum issued messages urging "support for cooperation among industry, government and academia" (see http://www.asia-forum.visitors.jp/english/index.html ). In addition, Osaka Prefecture declared the final week of November as the "World/Asia Week in Osaka" and saw as many as nine events such as international meetings and trade fairs. - Main guests invited from abroad (keynote speakers, panelists, etc.) Kiyomi Yonezawa Asia Relations Division Department of Dynamic Osaka Promotion Osaka Prefectural Government phone: +81-6-6944-6439 Fax: +81-6-6944-7568 E-mail: [email protected] Takashi Kawabata International Business Promotion Division Department of Dynamic Osaka Promotion Osaka Prefectural Government phone: +81-6944-6149 Fax: +81-6-6944-7618 E-mail: [email protected] --Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--