(* 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, March 16, 2007, 8.45a.m.
Place: in front of the Ministers' Room in the House

Main topics:

Six-Party Talks
Visit to Japan of Premier Wen Jiabao of China

1. Six-Party Talks

Question:
The Working Group on Denuclearization is scheduled to meet tomorrow over the course of two days. With the visit of Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA Director General, to Pyongyang and the virtual lifting of freeze on the B.D.A. (Banco Delta Asia S.A.R.L.) account, do you think North Korea should demonstrate any actions being taken toward denuclearization?

Minister:
When it comes to what North Korea should do, based on what they agreed to a short while ago they should accept without any caviling the verifications and monitoring by the IAEA, and should shut down the Yongbyon facility. Whether they will do so or not, I do not know.

Question:
Do you think that North Korea needs to show something specific in this direction?

Minister:
Talk of specific steps is for the engineers. Once a political decision has been made, how it can be executed administratively is, I think, a matter for the engineers.

Question:
Is it now the intent of the five parties to try and elicit specific steps towards denuclearization from the North Koreans?

Minister:
That is something that we will actually do. Doing so will take some time. It is more than just a simple matter of turning an engine on or off. Sealing and disabling the facility will, I think, take some time.

Question:
Is there talk at present of contacts between Japan and North Korea?

Minister:
After that time there was no dialog between Japan and North Korea. Even at yesterday's meeting on economic and energy aid Japan stated that we would not undertake any such activity now and we took up the issue of North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens. North Korea, of course, made a counter-argument, but the meeting was marked by the four other nations responding in complete alignment with Japan's position.

2. Visit to Japan of Premier Wen Jiabao of China

Question:
Concerning the schedule for the visit to Japan of Premier Wen Jiabao of China, has it been set for the 11th to the 15th of April?

Minister:
It has not yet been finalized.

Back to Index