(* This is a provisional translation by "WIP ジャパン" for reference purpose only. The original text is in Japanese.)

Press Conference by Foreign Minister Taro Aso

Date: Friday, January 26, 2007, 10.04 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Cabinet Meeting
Dispatch of civilian police personnel to Timor-Leste PKO
Six-Party Talks
Election of Non-Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council

1. Cabinet Meeting

2. Dispatch of civilian police personnel to Timor-Leste PKO

Minister:
In response to a request from the United Nations, and based on the International Peace Cooperation Law, it has been decided that two civilian police personnel will be sent on the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), and three liaison and coordination personnel will also be sent to in Timor-Leste. This dispatch will, I believe, contribute to building our relations with Timor-Leste and to the peace and stability of the region. It is significant, too, as a further development of Japan's peace-building diplomacy.

Related Information (Press Release)

3. Six-Party Talks

Question:
Where are things at present in the scheduling arrangements for a reopening of the Six-Party Talks?

Minister:
No definite date has been decided upon at this stage.

Question:
Is North Korea presently being waited upon for an answer?

Minister:
Yes, basically that is the case.

Question:
With such developments as the U.S. Under Secretary of State Robert Joseph's talk of putting in a letter of resignation, from one point of view, the United States could well start making concessions in the Six-Party Talks. What is your view regarding this?

Minister:
In the Six-Party Talks held so far, the 'soft landing' faction led by U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Christopher Hill, has been successful. Not having been successful last time, the 'hard landing' faction might have felt themselves confirmed. However, the 'soft landing' faction is now seen as being successful. So, in some form or other, the 'hard landing' faction now seems to be taking a hard look at itself. This is a US State Department internal matter, so I cannot really say.

4. Election of Non-Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council

Question:
Japan is now to stand as candidate for the Election of Non-Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council in place of Mongolia. Until now, Asia has basically worked together to coordinate for its single candidate. How do you think things will be done, or things will happen, from now on?

Minister:
Once Mongolia became a member of the United Nations it no doubt kept a constant eye on the various proceedings, particularly last year when Japan was a non-permanent member of the Security Council and sponsored the sanctions resolution 1718, etc. It must have observed the numbers of those involved and saw the process of consensus building. So I somehow think that once Mongolia saw the various difficulties that would be involved, they decided to leave it until after they had completed the foundations of their nationhood. At the very least, it expressed a desire to step back in favor of Japan, and, having thus been approached, we now wish to prepare ourselves as a candidate. There may be many countries with many different opinions regarding this, but we will do our very best to obtain their understanding in this matter.

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