(* This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only. The original text is in Japanese.)

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura

Date: Friday, February 1, 2008, 10:13 a.m.
Place: Press Conference Room in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Meeting of the Afghanistan Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB)
Emergency Grant Aid for Kenyan Internally Displaced Persons
Incident of Health Hazard Thought to be caused by Chinese-made Frozen Dumplings
Reports concerning a Ransom Paid for Japanese Hostages in Kyrgyz
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) utilizing ODA
Japan-Australia Foreign Ministers Talks
Courtesy Call on Foreign Minister Koumura by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs He Yafei of China

1. Meeting of the Afghanistan Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB)

Minister:
From 5 to 6 February, Japan will host an international conference on assistance to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. I am also scheduled to attend this conference. At the conference we will confirm the implementation status of assistance and coordinate future work. Many ministers from Afghanistan will attend the meeting, including Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and 24 other countries and organizations involved in assistance to Afghanistan are also scheduled to attend.

Related Information (Press Release)

2. Emergency Grant Aid for Kenyan Internally Displaced Persons

Minister:
Currently the situation in Kenya following the presidential election has resulted in approximately 250,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Japan has decided to implement emergency grant aid amounting to approximately 478 million yen in order to provide assistance for food and water for these IDPs through the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan has engaged in mediation between the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties in Kenya, and the Government of Japan hopes that at the very least the violence can be stopped and a process of inter-ethnic reconciliation can be advanced. Japan will also cooperate with efforts at mediation implemented by the international community.

Related Information (Press Release)

3. Incident of Health Hazard Thought to be caused by Chinese-made Frozen Dumplings

Question:
Could you please tell us again about what requests will be made to China in the future concerning the incident of Chinese-made dumplings?

Minister:
In Japan and probably also in China, thorough efforts will be made in order to identify the cause of the incident and prevent its reoccurrence.

Question:
On a related theme, I imagine that investigations will begin from now, and a cooperative structure between Japan and China will be required. The Treaty between Japan and People's Republic of China on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAT) has already been signed by the two countries, so in light of the current incident does the government intend to expedite Diet approval of the treaty?

Minister:
We are seeking to gain approval in the current Diet session. Even without the mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT), we can engage in cooperative investigation through diplomatic channels if necessary, but with the treaty in place it would be possible for law enforcement authorities to contact each other directly without recourse to diplomatic channels. Under current circumstances if the two governments agree, it would already be possible to engage in cooperative investigation. The investigation authorities in Japan have not yet indicated that they would like to engage in such cooperation on this case.

Question:
Yesterday in a press conference by the Chinese side it was mentioned that they wanted to proceed by dispatching a survey team within the next few days to Japan to work on the issue together. Do you expect such people to arrive from China today or tomorrow?

Minister:
I do not know exactly when they will come, but I have received information that a request to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing has been made for a visit to Japan and we are positively considering this request now.

Question:
In specific terms what kinds of organizations from the Chinese side will come?

Minister:
I do not know the details. Please direct that question to ministry officials.

Question:
What do you think will be the impact of this issue on Japan-China relations?

Minister:
Food safety is an issue of the greatest concern to the public, and this issue will therefore not have a good impact on Japan-China relations. In certain cases it could probably have an adverse impact on relations. That is why the governments of both countries are making as thorough response as possible, and both governments, particularly the Chinese government are taking proper measures to identify the cause and prevent a reoccurrence. By implementing a structure of mutual cooperation, I think that we can minimize the potential for an adverse impact on relations.

Question:
Although the dumpling incident occurred in China, it appears that the harm caused was escalated due to uncoordinated responses by various organizations in Japan. Did you discuss this issue in the formal and informal Cabinet meetings today?

Minister:
At the informal Cabinet meeting there were reports from the ministers concerned.

Question:
What did you say in the meetings?

Minister:
I reported on my meeting yesterday with Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs He Yafei of China, recounting what I had said and what Assistant Minister He had said.

Question:
What are your thoughts on Japan and China's mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests and the current response to the dumpling incident?

Minister:
I repeat what I said before that in order that there is no adverse impact on the mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests, both governments are making thorough efforts to identify the cause and prevent a reoccurrence.

Question:
After the Cabinet meeting had finished you had a long talk with the Prime Minister. Was that about the dumpling incident or about something else?

Minister:
We did not mention anything about the dumpling incident. Our discussion covered various topics.

4. Reports concerning a Ransom Paid for Japanese Hostages in Kyrgyz

Question:
This is an old story, but in 1999, at the time when Japanese nationals were kidnapped in Kyrgyz, it is said that the Government of Japan paid a ransom of over 300 million yen. This was then split among security-related officials in Kyrgyz and is currently being raised as an issue in the Kyrgyz parliament. Does the Government of Japan intend to implement any investigation or collect information about this incident?

Minister:
I understand that there is no truth behind these claims and therefore the government has no such plans.

Question:
When you talk about truth, you refer to the ransom payment?

Minister:
It is my understanding that there is no truth in the statement that Japan paid a ransom.

5. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) utilizing ODA

Question:
There have been reports that the government plans to advance a policy of emissions trading using ODA. Is this how the government intends to promote emissions trading, based on this policy?

Minister:
In principle it is unacceptable to divert ODA for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), but in cases where there is the approval of the beneficiary countries and the Executive Board of the CDM at the UN, it is possible to do so. This is not a new story, I am aware that Japan has already implemented two ODA projects for the CDM in this way.

Related Information (Japan's ODA)

6. Japan-Australia Foreign Ministers Talks

Question:
At yesterday's talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith of Australia, it has been reported that you proposed having discussions among experts on the whaling issues. What does this proposal entail?

Minister:
I was not proposing the creation of a Japan-Australia bilateral working group, although I am not ruling that out. What I said was that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a multinational structure and it would be best for that forum to be used as a means for experts to discuss issues. However, I did not rule out bilateral discussion according to the individual case, nor did I propose it aggressively.

Question:
There is a feeling that the Rudd Administration takes a differently nuanced stance to the whaling issues and possibly other issues to that of the preceding Howard Administration. What are your impressions?

Minister:
The stance on climate change has moved in a favorable direction and although that is not the case for the whaling issues, on the whole Japan-Australia relations continue to be in good form.

Related Information (Press Release)

7. Courtesy Call on Foreign Minister Koumura by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs He Yafei of China

Question:
In your meeting you discussed with Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs He the visit to Japan by Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China. Could you tell us about the government's intentions concerning the compilation of a joint document on the occasion of the visit to Japan?

Minister:
The Japanese side would be happy to compile a joint document if the content were good. I think it depends on the content.

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