(* 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, July 29, 2008, 11:16 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Domestic Affairs
Overseas Visit by the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Activities of the Air Self-Defense Force in Iraq
World Trade Organization Doha Round Negotiations
Takeshima Issue
Personnel Matters within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1. Domestic Affairs

Question:
There are various opinions concerning the timing for convening the extraordinary Diet session. Some suggest it should be convened soon and others say it should start at a later time. What are your thoughts on when the date for convening the extraordinary Diet session will be?

Minister:
I do not know when would be the right time to convene the extraordinary Diet session but if I speak from my position then I would certainly like things to be arranged so that it would be possible to extend the Replenishment Support Special Measures Law. I am not responsible to think about when is the appropriate timing for achieving that, like whether the end of August is necessary or whether sometime after the middle of September is still not too late.

Other than above, see Japanese version.

2. Overseas Visit by the Minister for Foreign Affairs

Question:
I heard that an overseas visit has been scheduled. Have you received any instructions in that regard from the Prime Minister?

Minister:
Nothing at all.

Question:
If you are able to proceed on schedule with that visit, would you like to take that trip?

Minister:
If I am able to go, I will go, but right now I am keeping a close watch on the situations to decide whether I can go.

Question:
Right now how do you view the situations?

Minister:
As far as that is concerned, everybody is maintaining a poker face but in fact I am working very hard on this.

Question:
Are there any difficulties in adjusting the schedule of the visit with host countries, because the domestic political schedule cannot be fixed?

Minister:
The schedule of overseas visits naturally has a relationship with those countries to be visited, as well as with the domestic situation. Any country can be faced with these circumstances. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must persevere, carrying out diplomacy in the face of such a circumstance. I believe that the Foreign Ministry of every country, everywhere, must face these situations as they carry out diplomacy. That is why I intend to carefully consider relations with the countries concerned and the situation at home, in order to make a decision by July 31, at the very latest. If I was to think only of relationships overseas then it would be better to make a decision on July 30 than on July 31. Indeed, rather than making a decision on July 30, it would in fact be better to make a decision during the course of today. However, if I take a very thorough look at what is going on vis-à-vis the situation domestically then the best thing would be to wait until the last possible moment. I will make a decision in this narrow range.

3. Activities of the Air Self-Defense Force in Iraq

Question:
Regarding the dispatch of Air Self-Defense Force personnel to Iraq, there have been some media reports alleging that the personnel will be withdrawn before the end of the year. Is it true that the Government has decided upon that policy line?

Minister:
There is no fact that we have decided such a thing.

Question:
The United Nations Resolution will expire before the end of this year and I do believe that there is the view that it would not be desirable to continue the dispatch of Forces after the United Nations Resolution has expired. What are your views on that matter?

Minister:
There are various views on that matter. Of course whether the United Nations Resolution will expire or not is one point and in the event that the dispatch were to be maintained even after the expiration of the Resolution then there would be a need for a Status of Forces Agreement. There are various factors to be considered but at the current point in time, we cannot say that anything has been decided in this regard.

Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)

4. World Trade Organization Doha Round Negotiations

Question:
Regarding the WTO negotiations, now we see the United States confronting China and India, apparently making the prospect of the talks more difficult. What is your view of the current situation of the World Trade Organization Doha Development Round Negotiations?

Minister:
Precisely as you have pointed out, there is the overall current situation on one hand and the need to continue to make utmost efforts to realize the maximization of Japan's national interests on the other. But from Japan's perspective, we believe that rather than the talks breaking down now, it would be better for the overall negotiations to be settled. I believe that in this way, Japan must maximize its national interests. It is difficult to say that we are satisfied with the current situation being reported by the media. In fact, right now, two ministers from Japan are working on the negotiations, doing their utmost to realize the best possible outcome for the country.

5. Takeshima Issue

Question:
There is a media report that during the morning today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea will visit Takeshima. Have you heard that?

Minister:
This is the first time I have heard that.

6. Personnel Matters within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Question:
Regarding the personnel decisions for Ambassadors, it appears that relatively younger officials have been selected to serve in Africa. What is the aim of that?

Minister:
I think it would be good to have those individuals who will play central roles in the future hold a respectable position overseas. In particular, it is useful for individuals in places like Africa to work up a sweat on the job and to get concrete experience to develop their skills as future high-level officials within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As such, since awhile back, I had wanted to use young, talented people as Ambassadors in Africa. In terms of the specific selection of individuals, that naturally is carried out by those people in charge of administrative affairs. In fact what happened is that the people in charge of those administrative affairs made recommendations of those certain people to me and in response, I acknowledged that their selections had been favorable.

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