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Japan's PM takes on foreign ministry portfolio

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has temporarily taken over the job of foreign minister, after abruptly sacking the first woman to serve as the country's top diplomat.

Tokyo correspondent Mark Simkin reports.

Foreign minister Makiko Tanaka is one of the most popular politicians in Japan, with the public at least. Her attempts to reform the foreign ministry have put her at odds with powerful bureaucrats and they've tried to undermine her at every turn. In recent days she's been embroiled in a bitter dispute with her deputy over who had blocked non government organisations from attending the recent conference on rebuilding Afghanistan. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has ended the dispute by sacking both the minister and the vice minister.

30/01/2002 1:42:20 PM | ABC Radio Australia News

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