Dear Dr. Bensoussan,
Since 1982, the Institute for New Generation Computer Technology (ICOT) has been conducting the Fifth Generation Computer Systems (FGCS) Project.
This project was concluded in 1992 after achieving its initial goal, and was succeeded by the two-year Follow-on Project having the aim of disseminating FGCS technology by making major software products of the FGCS project operational on commercially available computers. Now we are sure that we can successfully finish the Follow-on project in March 1995. After that, we will cease all ICOT research activities and close the Research Center.
In December 1986, you and I exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding, representing the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique and ICOT, respectively. The aim of the Memorandum, i.e. to facilitate the sending of French researchers by INRIA to ICOT, has most beautifully been achieved. At ICOT, we could welcome six French researchers, and their counterparts at ICOT had many useful interactions with them. In addition, we had four France-Japan symposia between 1986 and 1991, which deepened mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.
Because of the closing of the ICOT Research Center, however, we have to propose to terminate this Memorandum.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for the friendship and support you have extended to ICOT.
It is our hope that your organization will maintain close ties with the computer research community of Japan, where the ICOT scientists will continue their work in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Hiroichi Hiroshige