BOJ Not Aiming for Strong Yen, Shirakawa Says

Tokyo, Oct. 8 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan's recent decision to
keep interest rates unchanged was not made with the aim of a strong yen, BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said Wednesday.

The decision was based solely on economic and price outlooks in
Japan, Shirakawa said in a parliamentary panel.
The Australian central bank Wednesday cut its key interest rate,
while speculation has been growing that rate cuts are forthcoming in the
United States and Europe.
Shirakawa said he hopes to make a contribution within the current
framework of the Group of Seven major economies.
Shirakawa's comment came after Robert Zoellick, president of the
World Bank, on Tuesday proposed a wider framework, including emerging
economies such as Russia, China and India.