Mr. Mitoji Yabunaka, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit the United States

April 22, 2008

1. Mr. Mitoji Yabunaka, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, who visited Washington D.C. for the first time since he was appointed as vice-minister, met with officials of the Government of the United States. His schedule was as follows:

(1) Ambassador John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State: for about 1 hour and 30 minutes from 1:00 p.m. on April 9 (Working Lunch)

(2) Ambassador James F. Jeffrey, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor: for about 2 hours and 30 minutes from 7:00 p.m. on April 9 (Working Dinner)

(3) Mr. Gordon England, Deputy Secretary of Defense: for about 30 minutes from 2:15 p.m. April 10

(4) Mr. John P. Hannah, Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs: for about 30 minutes from 4:15 p.m. on April 10

(1) In all of the meetings, both sides agreed to continue to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, which is the indispensable foundation for peace and stability in East Asia, and tackle the situation in Asia based on the Japan-U.S. alliance.

(2) They agreed that Japan and the United States would continue to steadily implement the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, and the cooperation on the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) so as to further strengthen the deterrence based on the Japan-U.S. security arrangements and that the incidents caused by American soldiers in Okinawa and Yokosuka were regrettable and the two countries would make thorough efforts to prevent the recurrence of such events.

(3) On the issue of North Korea, both sides agreed that it is important that North Korea implements what it promised to do, and confirmed that, including the issue of the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, they would continue to maintain close cooperation towards the resolution of the issues concerning North Korea including the abduction and nuclear issues.

(4) On China, with the visit to Japan of Mr. Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China, near at hand, Mr. Yabunaka explained the current situation of Japan-China relations, and Japan and the U.S. confirmed that the current situation of Tibet was a common concern of the two countries.

(5) On the Middle East peace process, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, both sides also agreed that the two countries would continue to cooperate closely with each other.

(6) They also exchanged views on such global issues as fight against terrorism, climate change, African development, and global health, and they agreed that the two countries would continue to cooperate with each other toward the success of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.

3. Mr. Yabunaka also met intellectuals including Mr. Richard L. Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State, Dr. Kurt Campbell, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Dr. Susan E. Rice, Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution, and exchanged views on the Japan-U.S. relations, the situation in Asia, and so on.

(END)

Back to Index