U.S. AND JAPANESE BUSINESS LEADERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE IN TOKYO, 2000-07-11 (photo)

Michael Armstrong (3rd L), chairman and CEO of AT&T, and Minoru Makihara (2nd L), chairman of Mitsubushi Corp, are seen with other U.S. and Japan business leaders during a news conference in Tokyo July 11. The United States and Japan are now in working level talks in Japanese capital to resolve a thorny dispute over rates charged for domestic telephone lines before a Group of Eight summit next week. Armstrong said on Monday that he believed rates need to be addressed by a joint statement from the Japan-U.S. Business Council and hopefully by the two governments in an immediate and appropriate fashion. (NTT). From left are Texas Instruments Inc chairman, president and CEO Thomas Engibous; Makihara; Armstrong; world's largest soysauce brewer Kikkoman president Yuzaburo Mogi; TRW Inc President and CEO Joseph Gorman; Fuji Bank Chairman Toru Hashimoto and Citigroup Vice Chairman Deryck Maughan. KM/THL