HONDA MOTOR PRESIDENT YOSHINO SPEAKS DURING INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS IN TOKYO, 2000-02-04 (photo)

Honda Motor President Hiroyuki Yoshino speaks during an interview with Reuters at Honda headquarters in Tokyo February 4. Yoshino said the automaker's profits for the year to March 31 would be largely in line with company forcasts announced in November. He said he was pleased the Tokyo benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average hit the 20,000 mark on Friday, for the first time in 30 months, although he doubted the economy would make a quick recovery with corporate restructuring over the next few years pushing up unemployment and dampening consumer sentiment. ES/CC