(* 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: Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 9:28 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Dispatch of Election Monitors to Russian Presidential Election
Arrest of Japanese National in Saipan
Visit to Japan by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Consideration of the Dispatch of Personnel to Sudan PKO Mission
Collision of Aegis Destroyer and Fishing Vessel
Japan-China Strategic Dialogue
Japan-China Defense Exchanges

1. Dispatch of Election Monitors to Russian Presidential Election

Minister:
In response to a request from the Russian side, we will dispatch three election monitors to the Russian presidential election. One person will be sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and one from the academic field. These individuals will be involved in monitoring election activities as well as collection and tallying of votes in order to ensure that the election is held in an appropriate, fair and democratic manner. We also dispatched election monitors to the last State Duma election in Russia and I believe that it was quite effective to do so.

2. Arrest of Japanese National in Saipan

Question:
Last weekend, Mr. Kazuyoshi Miura was arrested in Saipan in regard to the suspicions related to the so-called "L.A. Affairs." I understand that right now, various procedures are taking place related to the courts, but I would like to ask you to give your thoughts on the fact that somebody who was tried and acquitted in a Japanese court has now been arrested in the United States on the same charges. Furthermore, please explain what measures you will take going forward in this regard.

Minister:
Legally speaking, there is absolutely no problem with this. However, I do not think it is a very normal circumstance. Regarding the response we will take going forward, I expect that due process in accordance with legal requirements will be taken with a view to ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals overseas.

Question:
I fully understand that the jurisdiction of courts in Japan does not extend to overseas territories. However, what are your thoughts on the fact that a person who has been tried and acquitted after going through a precise judicial process in Japan will now be tried overseas on the same charges?

Minister:
That is why my position is succinctly stated as, "Legally speaking, there is absolutely no problem with this. However, I do not think it is a very normal circumstance."

Question:
The lawyer defending Mr. Miura has expressed his view that considering the perspective of ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals, given the fact that Mr. Miura has already been tried and acquitted, he might or should immediately be handed over to the Japanese authorities. Given that position, will there be any response taken on the part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Minister:
Given that he has been taken into custody on their side, it is their judicial organization on the US side including that organization to consider whether or not he should be handed over to Japan. I do not think there is any legal justification under which Japan could demand that he be turned over.

3. Visit to Japan by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Question:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Japan from tomorrow and I am sure that there will be conversation focusing on various issues related to North Korea. What kind of dialogue do you expect to have?

Minister:
Basically, we will enhance the Japan-US Alliance and naturally, we will discuss what Japan and the US can do together regarding North Korea. This year, Japan is the chair of the G8 Summit and therefore, I am sure we will also talk about cooperating in that regard. In the context of the Japan-US Alliance, I suppose we will also touch on the recent abhorrent incidents.

Question:
My questions is in the context of your talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as you just mentioned now regarding the incidents that took place in Okinawa. Last week when you were asked about the comments made by Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Japan, to the effect that this may present an opportunity to revise the Status of US Forces Agreement, you showed a positive attitude to consider improving operations of the Status of Forces Agreement. Could you give us some more specific information on how you think operations of the Status of Forces Agreement can be improved?

Minister:
When we speak about improving operations of the Status of Forces Agreement, naturally we must determine which portions we are talking about. At any rate, the Government of Japan intends to give wide ranging consideration to that since it should be discussed continuously in the framework of the Japan-US Joint Committee.

4. Consideration of the Dispatch of Personnel to Sudan PKO Mission

Question:
According to the Financial Times over the weekend, you stated that you give positive consideration for Japan to proactively participate in peacekeeping operations (PKO) such as in Sudan. Please describe exactly what consideration is underway.

Minister:
If I try to recall what I said as exactly as possible, I believe that the interviewer mentioned the word Sudan in his question. There are many potential locations for PKO including Sudan and I do believe it would be worthwhile to begin to consider Sudan, too. I think that is pretty much what I said. We are only at the phase when it can be deemed worthwhile to initiate consideration. I did not say that any official consideration had been initiated. Speaking about PKO in general, I stated that compared to our national power, there is still room for Japan to make further efforts in this regard. I repeat myself to tell you that it was in the question by the interviewer that the word Sudan appeared, and I responded that I believed it was worth giving consideration to that as one of the possibilities for the participation in PKO activities. In addition, I also stated that in the event that Japan did engage in consideration in this regard, we would not focus on Darfur, but rather most likely on South-North dialogue.

Question:
Regarding the possibility of PKO activities in Sudan, given that it is worthwhile to initiate consideration, in thinking about such consideration, in May of this year, there will be the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) as well as the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit a little while after that. Since this year Japan has designated itself as a "Peace Fostering Nation," in what shape will any serious consideration manifest itself?

Minister:
I really cannot say at this stage, but the question is really a matter of at which stage it is appropriate to use the word "consideration." For example, even if I were to say that we are going to reopen negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Republic of Korea (ROK), there are many steps including preliminary ones. It is not simple to say exactly when those negotiations will officially be reopened. Furthermore, it is more difficult to identify exactly when consideration of that would begin within the government, but I can tell you that we have not yet reached the stage where normally we would say "we have begun consideration." When we will say that considerations are undertaken, it truly means that the Ministry which deals with the personnel to be dispatched has actually begun concrete consideration. Now it is at the preliminary stage at most in the preliminary discussion on how this would be with several candidate locations for PKO on the table.

5. Collision of Aegis Destroyer and Fishing Vessel

Question:
Regarding the accident involving the collision of an Aegis destroyer and a fishing vessel, last night the Ministry of Defense announced that visual confirmation was made 12 minutes prior to the collision. Please give us your comment as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Minister:
I do not have actual accurate factual information and therefore, I would prefer to refrain from making any comment on this matter.

6. Japan-China Strategic Dialogue

Question:
Regarding the issue of the gas fields in the East China Sea, I understand that Vice Ministerial-level consultations have concluded and it appears that the Chinese side is taking the position that it may not be absolutely adherent to resolve this issue by the timing of the visit to Japan by President Hu Jintao. What is the outlook for this matter currently? I believe that the Government of Japan had in fact taken a rather optimistic view on this situation.

Minister:
Have I here before you, ever made optimistic statements in this regard? I am the person in charge and I do not believe that I have made any optimistic statements. Regarding this matter, I believe that we have attained a considerably deep understanding of our respective positions. However, we have each gone to the very limit of how far we can compromise with each other, but unfortunately there remains a gap. In order to go beyond that it seems that there is a requirement for both of us to make a new level of effort. Both sides are in agreement that it would be better for both of us to resolve this at an early time. However, from our perspective, and I believe that this is true for both Japan and China, we have not necessarily made any absolute linkage to the timing of the visit to China by Prime Minister Fukuda or the timing of the visit to Japan by President Hu Jintao. Still I believe that there has been no change to our hope that we both think it would be good to resolve this as early as possible.

7. Japan-China Defense Exchanges

Question:
The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff is visiting China from today. Please give us your perspective on the current stage of Japan-China Defense Exchanges? What is your outlook on how things will develop in that regard in the future?

Minister:
I believe that defense exchanges taking place between two major nations that are next to each other should be thoroughly done, both as defense exchanges and as military exchanges so that both sides can get to know each other and to create a certain sense of reassurance. I believe that we must continue to engage in significant exchanges and make efforts to enhance transparency. I think there is a need to continue to have mutual port calls, engage in mutual exchanges by high-level military officials and that sort of activity. By doing so, both sides can come to know each other better and I believe that Japan has already achieved an extremely high level of transparency and I would greatly appreciate it if China enhanced more, the level of transparency in its military force.

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