(* 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, September 9, 2008, 10:52 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Meeting of Four Ministers on Global Warming
North Korean Issues
Evaluation of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, etc.
The Fight against Terrorism
The Issue of Georgia

1. Meeting of Four Ministers on Global Warming

Question:
Before the Cabinet meeting, a meeting among four ministers was held. Looking towards the 14th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP14), did you make any comments about what kind of international strategy Japan will take or about international strategy in general?

Minister:
I hope you will understand that the content of that meeting is not for public disclosure, and the Chief Cabinet Secretary will provide an overview of what was discussed.

Question:
Putting aside the statements made in the meeting, at the Accra Climate Change Talks 2008, I believe that Japan stressed the importance of differentiation with developing countries and a sectoral approach. From now to the end of this year, what points does Japan intend to emphasize?

Minister:
Full-fledged negotiations will begin from next year. What will be important is in what way Japan's assertions will be incorporated in the basis for those negotiations. The sectoral approach is of course important, as are a number of other points, but if I speak at greater length I will divulge my assertions at today's meeting and other sensitive information, so I will stop at this point.

Related Information (Climate Change)

2. North Korean Issues

Question:
Today North Korea reaches the 60th anniversary of its founding. Do you have a message for North Korea or for Chairman of the National Defense Commission, Kim Jong-Il?

Minister:
I have not issued a direct message, but I expect North Korea to play a constructive role as a member of the international community. In specific terms, I would like to see North Korea move forward properly with the pledges which were made at the Six-Party Talks and also to put into proper effect the pledges made at the Japan-North Korea Working -level Consultations. Once North Korea makes such moves, Japan too will move to implement the pledges it has made.

Question:
With regard to the nuclear issue, North Korea is taking a hardline stance. Placing the nuclear issue and Japan-North Korea relations as two separate issues, does Japan's stance remain unchanged in that if it can advance its relations with North Korea then it will move to do so?

Minister:
Japan-North Korea relations and the nuclear issue are two issues for which it is very important to maintain a good balance. In reality the nuclear issue has, depending on how you look at it, taken a step backwards, or is at least in deadlock. However, of the two issues -- nuclear and Japan-North Korea relations -- it seems that the nuclear issue is moving forward. Given these circumstances, if there were also positive developments in Japan-North Korea relations we would welcome this and it would also be welcomed by the international community. In reality, however, the relations have not moved forward, which is something that is most regrettable.

Question:
With regard to the reinvestigation of the abduction issue, in a stakeout conducted with Prime Minister Fukuda yesterday, the first one for some time, he explained that his resignation announcement was not the cause of the delay in reinvestigation of abductees, rather it was the case that the reinvestigation was already delayed. If this is the case it would give the impression that the Prime Minister's comments and those made by yourself and senior Foreign Ministry officials are somewhat different. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Minister:
I did not hear this comment directly by the Prime Minister so I would like to refrain from commenting. I believe that if North Korea is given the impression that Japan will undoubtedly fulfill its pledges then North Korea will also move to do likewise. There are a variety of opinions on this issue in Japan and one of these is whether North Korea will in fact implement its pledges. Whether the Prime Minister's resignation is related to the implementation of such pledges of North Korea is something you would have to ask North Korea.

3. Evaluation of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, etc.

Question:
Looking back over global warming countermeasures during the one year of the Fukuda administration, we see that there have been a number of significant events, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit. How would you evaluate the results achieved by the administration, and if you were to choose any particular points that have been left outstanding, what would they be?

Minister:
My evaluation is an "A" grade. With regard to the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, the University of Toronto G8 Research Group, which is considered the evaluating organization with greatest authority on the G8, gave Prime Minister Fukuda an "A" grade for his leadership. That is an objective fact. I too would give exactly the same evaluation. Japan's sectoral approach has been somewhat misunderstood by the world. There have been those who think the sectoral approach is Japan's attempt to escape from the quantified national targets. There was also a great deal of discussion within Japan on this issue, and Prime Minister Fukuda took the reins of leadership, announcing clearly to the world at Davos that even under a sectoral approach quantified national targets would remain in place, and as a result nearly all misunderstanding was eliminated. With that, both the European Union and developing countries came to actively listen to the details of a proposed sectoral approach. This was a result of the leadership of Prime Minister Fukuda. The Prime Minister also managed to approach the United States and developing countries, China and Russia, gaining mutual understanding amid an environment in which each of these countries tended to blame the others for their own inaction. What is more, a result he achieved at the G8 Summit was that of gaining consensus among members, including the United States, to aim for the common long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least half by 2050. At the Summit he also managed to prevent a scenario that would have seen members of the Meeting of Major Economies (MEM), including India and China, refusing to do anything on the grounds that global warming is the responsibility of developed nations, and instead achieved a consensus that at the very least developing countries should make efforts to ease emissions increases among themselves. It is thanks to these efforts that we have taken a step forward from the situation in which the United States, China and India were reluctant to move forward with global warming countermeasures, so I evaluate the results he has achieved at the Summit very highly. Everybody evaluates his achievements highly, so in that sense you could say that his sudden resignation was irresponsible.

4. The Fight against Terrorism

Question:
There have been reports that the United States is to withdraw 8,000 troops from Iraq and increase forces in Afghanistan by more than 4,500. What will Japan's response to this be?

Minister:
I have not heard details of such movements, but in terms of general trends it is the case that there are signs that Iraq is stabilizing and I would like the government of Iraq to do as much as it can by itself to maintain law and order in the country. On the other hand, in the case of Afghanistan, law and order currently faces a very severe situation, and I feel that the United States would probably be inclined to reduce troop numbers in Iraq gradually as appropriate and place a greater emphasis on Afghanistan. For Japan, a number of issues must be given consideration, not because the United States is transferring emphasis to Afghanistan, but rather in the light of a variety of situations, including how long the assistance being offered by the Air Self Defense Force will continue, and what activities Japan can accomplish in Afghanistan.

Related Information (Counter Terrorism)

5. The Issue of Georgia

Question:
With regard to the issue of Georgia, Russia has pledged to withdraw its forces from Georgia within a month. What impact will this announcement have on Japan-Russia relations?

Minister:
I think that a withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgian territory after one month will be a very good result. It would have been preferable for Russian forces to withdraw at a quicker pace, but I hope that the promise of withdrawal after one month will be adhered to. The government of Japan has conveyed what needs to be said to the Russian government in the appropriate manner. With regard to Japan-Russia relations as a whole, a number of issues remain, including the issue of the withdrawal of Russian forces and the Russian recognition of the independence of two regions of Georgia. In recognizing the independence of these regions, Russia is not being a good and constructive player in the international community. In these circumstances, however, it does not mean that we should totally destroy the relationship between Japan and Russia. Our relations with Russia are based on mutual benefit and we will maintain such relations.

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