(* 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: Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 8.55a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Dispatch of Arms Monitors to Nepal and General Election Observers to Timor Leste
Japan-Chile Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
Six-Party Talks
Prime Minister Abe's First Six Months in Office
The Diplomatic Blue Book

1. Dispatch of Arms Monitors to Nepal and General Election Observers to Timor Leste

Minister:
Following a request from the United Nations and on the basis of the International Peace Cooperation Law, six members of the Self Defense Forces will be sent as arms monitors to the United Nations Political Mission in Nepal (UNMIN). Also, 14 people will be sent as part of the Election Observation Team to observe the presidential elections in Timor Leste. We have decided so in consideration of the relations between ourselves and these two countries.

Related Information (Press Release)

2. Japan-Chile Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

Minister:
A decision was made in this Cabinet meeting to sign the Japan-Chile Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Having thus been decided, the signing will take place this evening between Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley and myself. It will be the fifth such agreement Japan has concluded.

Related Information (Japan-Chile EPA)

3. Six-Party Talks

Question:
The Six-Party Talks in Beijing have gone into recession, but, looking back, what are your impressions and opinions?

Minister:
In short, I think it is extremely regrettable. North Korea was over-particular in talks regarding the B.D.A. (Banco Delta Asia). Things became stuck at the technical level over questions about withdrawing the money or not, about whether it could be withdrawn or not; and with this the issue of denuclearization was unable to be addressed. In this way the issue has affected the whole agenda and the talks fell apart over it. I feel that the final preparations could well have been carried out better than they were.

Question:
In an address he gave in Washington, Ambassador Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of the US Department of State, indicated that he believed the BDA funds issue should be able to be resolved within two or three days. What are your thoughts on that?

Minister:
It's a technical issue of whether or not to remit the funds. I would like to know where they propose having the funds remitted to. They probably include moneys that belong to parties other than North Korea, and one major condition involved the technical question of how these moneys would be differentiated.

Question:
If remitting of the funds were possible, what are the chances that the Six-Party Talks would resume immediately?

Minister:
Very high indeed, I think.

Question:
Two sessions of Six-Party Talks have been held, only to go into recession or end without meaningful result because of a financial issue that essentially had nothing to do with the Six-Party Talks. Leaving aside technical issues, I believe that manners are important for diplomacy. How do you intend to deal with conduct that ignores good diplomatic manners?

Minister:
That is a good question. As they insist, the Six-Party Talks are not going to work as long as talks between two parties become bogged down in and founder over issues that are no direct concern of the Talks such as American finance and domestic legislation. The issue here being denuclearization, I think that in the background the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of State consulted with each other and decided to act. However, whatever the case, no justification is possible in terms of the rules of the international community. Concerning matters of this kind, I feel that countries dealing with North Korea will from now on be increasingly mistrustful, which will not do the North Koreans any good. However, the 193 countries in the world represent, I guess, a great number of ways of thinking.

Question:
Ambassador Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of the US Department of State, said that remittance should be able to be made within a few days. Have you received any information regarding these 'few days'?

Minister:
This is just a question of how that came to be arranged. 'A few days' may well mean a few days, and I believe that there is a possibility of the Talks reopening perhaps next week. However, these would take place on the understanding that the Talks have stalled over technical matters. The issues concerning Yongbyon, the IAEA inspections and the other initial actions all have a 60-day deadline, so I would like to have them settled in some form by the middle of April.

4. Prime Minister Abe's First Six Months in Office

Question:
It is six months since Prime Minister Abe assumed office. There have been achievements such as an improvement of relations with China; but in terms of diplomacy what do you think are the next issues and tasks?

Minister:
The issue with North Korea, of course, goes without saying. We are also engaging over a number of other issues such as with the Republic of Korea, with China over the issue of gas fields, and relations with Russia. I cannot say that they have been resolved, but I feel that things have improved compared with before. Talks with Russia concerning energy and other issues are progressing. Compared with before, the number of high-level visits between each country has increased, so in that sense things are going well. However, it cannot yet be said that these issues have been resolved. I don't believe that relations with the United States are going badly, and relations with Europe, including NATO, have improved. Our aid to Africa continues, and the agricultural complex and other projects near Jericho in the Palestinian territories which relate to the 'Arc of Freedom and Prosperity' concept have now taken shape. Achievements are not necessarily visible. Any complaints about the big picture not being visible, I understand; however diplomatic achievement does not always take a concrete form, so stating exactly what our successes are is a difficult task.

5. The Diplomatic Blue Book

Question:
I believe that a report of the Diplomatic Blue Book was made in the Cabinet today. Could you please tell us what the main points of it were?

Minister:
I did pass out sheets to everyone with a clear outline of it. In the Book, issues relating to North Korea are amply explained. The North Korean nuclear issue is presented as the result of Proactive Diplomacy under the Abe Cabinet. There is a vast difference between the situation last July and now having five parties together to parley with North Korea. There was, of course, Prime Minister Abe's visit to China, as well as a number of other things that have changed. The Book was actually to cover only the events of 2006, but I included those of importance in 2007 too.

Question:
Do you view the United Nations Security Council's sanctions resolution against North Korea as a major point?

Minister:
Yes, it was a major point. The pushing of that measure through for unanimous approval by the whole Council began last July. This preceded the Abe Cabinet, but the Taepodong affair required considerably more effort than the nuclear one did. The Taepodong affair took 11 days, whereas the nuclear issue was dealt with in 6, that is, almost half the time. That was because at the time of the Taepodong affair in July, all that had ever been issued before then was a presidential statement. There had been no reaction in the first Nodong case, and, I think, a press statement at the time of the Taepodong 1. So Japan's diplomatic effort in July of rejecting the idea of a presidential statement, insisting on sanctions and, having gotten that far, getting unanimous approval for it, was a great one.

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