(* 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 Katsuya Okada

Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 3:50 p.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Opening Statements
- (1) Emergency Grant Aid for the Electoral Process in the Republic of the Sudan
- (2) Meeting of the Council of the Three Political-level Appointees
- (3) Visit to the US by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Takemasa
The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament
UN Peacekeeping Operations
Assistance to Afghanistan
East Asian Community
The United Nations Resolution on Nuclear Disarmament
North Korean Issues (The Bill on Inspections of North Korean Cargo and the Abduction Issue)
Dolphin Hunting in Taiji-cho, Wakayama Prefecture
Impressions One Month after Taking Office
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
The Opening of Press Conferences
Realignment of the US Forces in Japan
Japan-China Joint History Research

1. Opening Statements

(1) Emergency Grant Aid for the Electoral Process in the Republic of the Sudan

Minister:
To start off, I would like to announce two things. First of all, I would like to talk about emergency grant aid for the electoral process in the Republic of the Sudan which I spoke about at today's Cabinet Meeting. I will not go into details. However, to support the implementation of the general election in the Republic of the Sudan, which is to be conducted in April 2010, Japan has decided to extend emergency grant aid amounting to approximately US$10 million (1.03 billion yen) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). I announced this at the Cabinet Meeting. This is the largest amount of assistance ever extended for an election in Africa by Japan.

The implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan is currently entering an extremely critical stage. Up until now, Japan has been actively contributing to the steady implementation of the CPA, and this assistance for elections is also part of these efforts.

Related Information (Press Release)

(2) Meeting of the Council of the Three Political-level Appointees

Minister:
Secondly, today there was a meeting of the council of the three political-level appointees, and I would like to touch on this. First of all, I reported on the Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit and the bilateral talks I held with the Chinese side this time and my visits to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Next, I reported on today's Cabinet Meeting, in which I gave a summary of the budget request and asked that the Cabinet take a unified position on limiting personnel costs for civil servants, whether it was an issue of the number of civil servants or personnel costs per head. I received an answer on this by Minister of State for Government Revitalization and Civil Service Reform Yoshito Sengoku, and reported on this at the meeting too.

State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Koichi Takemasa reported on his meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the United States Dr. Kurt Campbell on Sunday. State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama reported on the policy council, the team for reaching the global warming mid-term target, and the supplementary budget. When I summarized the budget request, I instructed State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Takemasa that in the future he should further scrutinize allowances for overseas assignments and organizations related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as the Japan Foundation. Additionally, the fourth Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy council meeting, the first to be held within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be held on Monday, October 19.

Regarding the selection of a member for the Headquarters for Emergency Employment Measures, which was established by today's Cabinet Decision, since it must be either a Senior Vice-Minister of Parliamentary Secretary, I appointed Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Chinami Nishimura.

(3) Visit to the US by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama

Minister:
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama will visit Washington D.C. to hold an exchange of opinion with people in the field of environment and climate change from October 20 (Tue.) to October 23 (Thu.). There he is scheduled to meet with Special Envoy on Climate Change of the US Todd Stern, members of Congress, and other dignitaries for an exchange of opinions.

2. The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament

Question:
I believe that you just met with former Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi and former Australian Foreign Minister, the Hon. Gareth Evans AO. You received a proposal from Mr. Evans on the declaration of a no-first-use (NFU) policy. While you were Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) I believe you stated the opinion that that we should encourage the US to adopt a NFU policy. My first question is what you discussed regarding this point during your meeting with Ms. Kawaguchi and Mr. Evans. Second, if this topic did not come up, in your current position as Minister for Foreign Affairs, what is your opinion on the US declaring a NFU policy?

Minister:
First of all, the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) has not yet come to a decision on how its finalized report will be presented, but I understand that it will be divided into two parts. In the first part, I believe it will indicate that we should have certain limitation on the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear nations, and the second part will be about an NFU policy. I believe that this two-step plan is the basic position of the report. From my side, I stated that I have had interest regarding both issues from the past. Of course, this is something that Mr. Evans already knows very well. I also stated that going forward the Government or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will further discuss these issues. This report will be issued separate from the Government, and I said that I hoped it would be a progressive one that looks to the future. Today I did not say anything about an NFU policy. However, I did state my personal opinion regarding the issue of the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear nations. From a moral perspective as well as from the position of aiming for a non-nuclear society, forbidding the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear nations is natural.

Question:
You did not give your opinion at this stage regarding an NFU policy?

Minister:
This is an issue that is being handled in steps and there was nothing for me to say today as Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding an NFU policy.

3. UN Peacekeeping Operations

Question:
I would like to ask a question regarding UN peacekeeping operations. I understand that a training course for potential senior leaders of UN peacekeeping operations will be held from Monday jointly with the US at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that this is something that was decided on during the Sea Island Summit. The Democratic Party of Japan has also shown a positive attitude toward peacekeeping operations in its manifesto. What is your opinion on participation in peacekeeping operations?

Minister:
Speaking of the current situation, it is a sad one. Looking back to when the International Peace Cooperation Law was established, I think that peacekeeping operations in Cambodia were quite successful. However, currently the number of people involved has decreased greatly and I believe that Japan should participate a little more actively.

Question:
In relation to the subject of peacekeeping operations that was just brought up, for electoral assistance to Sudan, Japan decided on monetary assistance, and for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur as well, while there are some people dispatched to the headquarters and the capital, Japan has not dispatched any forces for peacekeeping operations. Going forward do you have any plans to dispatch for example, an electoral observation team or other personnel to aid the electoral process in Sudan? Additionally, while this is not a peacekeeping operation, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, unlike Operation Enduring Freedom, conducts activities based on UN security resolutions which are similar to peacekeeping. I have heard that you stated on television and elsewhere that personnel assistance to the ISAF would be extremely difficult. Why do you believe it would be difficult to provide personnel assistance such as the Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force to Afghanistan?

Minister:
Do you believe that the ISAF's activities are similar to traditional peacekeeping operations? I believe that their activities go further and that many people have lost their lives.

Question:
Of course I think there are different kinds of peacekeeping operations. In places like the Congo, there are peacekeeping operations where many troops have died.

Minister:
I think it would be better to discuss what the definition of peacekeeping operations is first. The peacekeeping operations I am referring to are the operations conducted based on Japan's International Peace Cooperation Law. I do not think that the activities of the ISAF fall into that category.

Question:
Is it difficult to send Japanese troops to the ISAF because it is dangerous?

Minister:
There is no law [allowing for it]. Do you believe these activities fit the five principles of the International Peace Cooperation Law?

4. Assistance to Afghanistan

Question:
My question relates to your visit to Afghanistan. You have proposed to provide vocational training programs, but such programs failed in 2003 when the United Nations provided them as part of their DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) efforts. Why are you making the proposal once more despite failure in the past? Even if you do not recognize that the United Nations' DDR program did not fail, experts who came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last weekend right before your departure reportedly gave you advice saying that it was too late to provide vocational training. Nevertheless you made the proposal. May I ask why?

Minister:
I am not aware of position or reason from which the person you mentioned may have stated that it was too late. I made the proposal because I was convinced that it would be extremely significant to develop a mechanism for the Afghans to acquire the expertise to obtain jobs, rather than engaging in armed confrontations with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Question:
I want to ask you about the schedule for putting flesh on assistance programs for Afghanistan. Am I correct in understanding that the schedule will be made in light of the visit to Japan by President Barak Obama, which is scheduled for next month?

Minister:
That is what I am hoping for. At the same time, the programs are not designed by Japan alone; we must take into account views of other parties as well. I want to see to it that the programs are compiled to such a substantial degree as to allow for a meaningful exchange of views when President Obama visits Japan, although it is not clear to what extent exactly the programs can be compiled, and although we do not aim to finalize them in time for President Obama's visit to Japan.

Question:
Your view is to have assistance programs for Afghanistan take on as concrete a form as possible by the time President Obama visits Japan next month. Is the Japanese government considering to provide, in a high likelihood, vocational training programs for ex-soldiers of Taliban, as you proposed to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan? I have one more question. I assume that the issue of the refueling activities in the Indian Ocean will be a subject on the agenda for discussion with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates of the United States when he visits Japan this month. Will you convey to Defense Secretary Gates that Japan will suspend and withdraw its refueling activities on January 15?

Minister:
As to your first question, I cannot tell at this moment how concrete the assistance programs will be [by the time President Obama visits Japan], because this is not a matter for Japan alone to decide. As to your second question, I am aware of various media reports. Allow me to reiterate what I said in Pakistan in response to a question from a reporter - "We will not simply continue the activities without careful consideration. This policy remains totally unchanged." Having said that, I also stated, "My understanding is that it would be difficult to submit a bill to the next session of the Diet." That is all I said. I will refrain from answering your question and addressing the assumption it is based upon. I will just say two things: We will not simply continue the activities without careful consideration; and it will be difficult to submit a bill to the next session of the Diet. I have stated nothing more. Reading various reports and editorials, I feel some newspaper companies are hyper-imaginative, but what I have stated are those two points only.

5. East Asian Community

Question:
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell of the United States made a comment in Beijing on the East Asian community that the United States should not be excluded. What are your thoughts on this comment?

Minister:
I am aware of various discussions, but the East Asian community is not a fixed concept. Rather, it is a future vision. Although it may not be necessary to specify country names, the US concern seems to be, more or less, groundless. Just to name a few avenues for cooperation, we have Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as well as the Japan-US alliance. To be concerned at this moment about whether the United States is included or not seems to be an overreaction.

Question:
Are there any plans as to when to announce a concrete concept?

Minister:
I do not think it is necessary to fix our ideas at the outset because the concept will gradually take on a concrete form as we accumulate various kinds of cooperation. Take the European Union (EU) for example. It is not the case that European nations had a concrete image of the EU as it is today at the outset, nor is it the case that they first defined an image and then took actions to realize it. The EU was formed through the process of each nation cooperating with each other. Some media reports have critical views, pointing out that the concept lacks concreteness and demanding that it be clarified. Although that may be one way to build an East Asian Community, I think we had better not have a rigidly fixed notion given today's dynamically changing situations.

Question:
This is also a question on the East Asian community. A joint statement issued following the Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting last weekend stated that "We will strengthen security dialogue and facilitate exchange and cooperation among the defense or military personnel of the three countries." While bilaterally strengthening defense relations is nothing new, I believe it was the first time that the strengthening of defense relations has been declared trilaterally. Does the East Asian community envisage regional security, both in terms of the economy and security?

Minister:
It is not that we will embark on something completely new; we will expand the current bilateral dialogue into one held trilaterally.

Question:
Does the East Asian community envisage an independent security arrangement in East Asia, not only for economic cooperation but for security as well?

Minister:
We could have something that would facilitate communication, but given the current situation, it is quite difficult to imagine that we would conclude our own version of the North Atlantic Treaty.

6. The United Nations Resolution on Nuclear Disarmament

Question:
For the first time the United States became a joint proposer of Japan's resolution on nuclear disarmament to the General Assembly of the United Nations. A US government representative also stated that the United States would halve its nuclear stockpile by 2012 from the 2001 level. Please tell us once more of your evaluation of the Obama Administration's positive stance on nuclear disarmament. What impact do you expect the joint nuclear disarmament resolution with the United States to have on other nations?

Minister:
Halving its nuclear stockpile is an established policy of the United States and the representative was not necessarily expressing a new initiative. That is my understanding. As it was not the case before, it was significant that the United States supported and joined a draft resolution of Japan. In any event, momentum toward cooperation which realizes a world without nuclear weapons has been growing since President Obama made the speech in Prague. I am convinced that our resolution has successfully played a role in further advancing this greater movement.

Related Information (Press Release)

7. North Korean Issues (The Bill on Inspections of North Korean Cargo and the Abduction Issue)

Question:
I have a question on North Korean issues. The Hatoyama Administration will not submit a bill on inspections of North Korean cargo to the Diet during its extraordinary session based on the recognition that the situation in North Korea must be evaluated first. You originally held the view that strict sanctions must continue as long as no progress is made on nuclear, abduction, and missile issues, but what is your current view?

Minister:
I discussed this matter with the Chief Cabinet Secretary. I stated that if the reason was, as some media reported, because North Korea might take a conciliatory approach, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not accept it. I conveyed that the bill was meant to merely carry out decisions by the United Nations and requested that this point be taken into account beforehand. If the Prime Minister's Office decides not to submit the bill to the upcoming session of the Diet, then we must respect their decision. However, I requested that the current situation in North Korea not be a reason for postponement.

Question:
Under previous administrations, all Cabinet members attended meetings of the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue, but it was decided at the recent Cabinet meeting that the Headquarters would be reorganized in such a way that only four ministers, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, would attend its meetings. What is the purpose of this reorganization? What expectations do you have of the Headquarters for the resolution of the abduction issue? Also, what is your expectation of Minister of State for the Abduction Issue Hiroshi Nakai, who will visit the Republic of Korea (ROK) in order to lay the groundwork for discussions moving forward?

Minister:
Minister Nakai [who also holds the office of Chairman of the National Commission on Public Safety] is very active. He proposed to make the composition of the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue more compact to allow it to conduct discussions independently, and I approved the proposal. It would be very fortunate if Minister Nakai could exchange views with various relevant parties during his stay in the ROK and thus contributed in some way to efforts to resolve the abduction issue. In any event, I hope that Minister Nakai will do his best in moving the situation forward. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I will cooperate with his efforts.

8. Dolphin Hunting in Taiji-cho, Wakayama Prefecture

Question:
Have you seen the film "The Cove," which features the practice of dolphin hunting in Taiji-cho, Wakayama Prefecture? As you may already know, the film is much talked about recently, and is scheduled to be screened next week in the Tokyo International Film Festival. The film has somewhat clouded Japan's reputation abroad, especially in Europe. Do you have any personal opinion about it?

Minister:
I have not seen the film, but since I hear there are some details in it that are not quite factual, I might make some comments afterwards if the film is really to be screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival. I have not decided at this moment. Although I do not know the details, there must be varied arguments about the film's content. I think consideration must be given to the culture of each country. Different countries use different animals as food, and if a certain part of Japan is criticized for the custom of eating dolphin, I think there needs to be a little more understanding about the diversity of culture. I think the same thing can also be said about the issue of whaling.

Question:
For example, in Italy, there is a practice of tuna hunting called Matanza, which kills the fish in the same way. Are you saying that there is no particular difference between tuna and dolphin as long as it is a part of food culture?

Minister:
I did not mean it that way. I just said that different countries have different cultures, which I think must be respected to a certain extent.

9. Impressions One Month after Taking Office

Question:
One month has passed since the inauguration of the Hatoyama Cabinet. What is your impression of the past month, including the work you did?

Minister:
The month passed by in a flash. I cannot believe that so much time has gone by already. That I have not spent very much time in Japan also enhances that feeling. There are many things to be done, and my immediate task is to tackle them with all my might. I have been doing the best I can so far, but there must be many aspects that are not entirely satisfactory.

Question:
Is there anything you found out after taking the office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs? Please tell us how your impression of the job changed after becoming Minister.

Minister:
I have the impression that there are more overseas visits than I initially imagined, and that I get to spend less time inside Japan.

10. The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

Question:
Concerning the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, there are growing cries in the international community that Japan should ratify it, fuelled by the case of a US citizen being arrested in Fukuoka Prefecture for kidnapping his own children from his ex-wife. Could you please tell us your opinion on this?

Minister:
We are currently deliberating about the Hague Convention. I think an increasing number of Japanese citizens will find themselves in a similar position going forward. What is currently at issue is that in many cases of divorce between internationally married couples a problem arises when the ex-wife, who is Japanese, returns to Japan with children. From now on there is the possibility of seeing more cases of children being taken out of Japan, leaving one of the parents without giving them any access to see their own children. On the other hand, the situation of child rearing differs by country. We are considering what to do, with a consideration of these aspects.

Question:
Could you explain a little more about the Hague Convention? You were making positive comments about the ratification of the Convention in July, before Prime Minister Hatoyama took power. Can we assume that the new administration is considering this in a positive light?

Minister:
I am personally inclined to consider it positively. However, we must also consider how it will be perceived by the people of Japan as a whole. For example, there may be a range of public sentiment regarding Japan ratifying it ahead of other Asian countries which have not ratified it. On the other hand, there is the view that Japan's ratification will lead to more Asian countries joining in the Convention. I would first like to discuss these aspects at the political level.

11. The Opening of Press Conferences

Question:
One month has passed since the inauguration of the Hatoyama Cabinet. At the first open press conference on September 18, when I asked your opinion about the fact that other ministries had not opened up the press conferences of their ministers, you said with a smile, "If I were Minister of all the ministries, all the press conferences would be open," but you also said, "If there is no trouble, I believe that the trend will spread." Is there anything you have found problematic after actually opening up the press conferences for a month?

Minister:
I have not found anything problematic myself. However, I missed a couple of press conferences while I was away from Japan. I think we have had only around four press conferences since then - am I right? I think we need to give ourselves a bigger trial period. After that, I think we can consider various possibilities, for example, taking up press conferences by State Secretaries for Foreign Affairs.

Question:
The trend has not spread to other ministries yet. Does that mean that you have not succeeded in convincing other ministries?

Minister:
I have not talked to other ministries about this yet. That may become necessary after a longer trial.

Question:
My question is about news gathering overseas. As a freelance journalist, I attended the International Olympic Commission (IOC) Session held at the beginning of this month in Copenhagen after registering. When overseas, including at the United Nations General Assembly, all journalists are allowed to gather news, even if they apply as individuals, but they cannot interview Japanese politicians at any of these venues. To get to the point, you have been abroad for a long time, and I wonder if freelance journalists, magazine publishers, internet news providers, and foreign media will be allowed to accompany you on future overseas visits? Could you please tell your thinking on this matter?

Minister:
Concerning the latest visit to Afghanistan, since the visit itself was extremely confidential, we could allow only a few journalists to accompany us - a limited number of Kasumi Club journalists who are chosen by lot - lest the group become too big. What to do in case of overseas visits under more normal circumstances probably requires consideration. It may be problematic if the members become too many, but I personally think it is fine to invite all registered members. I would like to give this some consideration.

Question:
Concerning registration, right now we enter the building after filling out an admission form at the front desk on the ground floor. The procedure is extremely cumbersome and we are required to undergo security checks over and over. Also, we are supposed to be in the downstairs waiting room 30 minutes before the conference, from where we are led to the pressroom like prisoners, which is quite discouraging. I would appreciate it if the Ministry would consider introducing a registration pass like in other countries - in other words, gradually opening up the building to individual journalists who have undergone security checks in the same way as is common in journalism elsewhere in the world. What do think?

Minister:
We are still in the trial period, but I would like to consider a way to simplify the procedure, so that those who have been registered can enter the building without going through all those steps.

12. Realignment of the US Forces in Japan

Question:
I would like to ask again about the US Air Station in Futenma, since one month has passed since your appointment as Minister, and we assume that you have had many occasions to talk about the issue with the US side since then. How do you feel about finding a solution to this issue at this moment? You have been repeatedly saying that there is no change to your position calling for a relocation outside the prefecture or outside the country, although this is not stated in the DPJ Manifesto. Could you tell us how you feel about this?

Minister:
What I have been saying is that I have always tackled this issue with the aim of alleviating the burden on the people of Okinawa. In this context, Japan and the US are both currently verifying the past progress that led up to the current plan. In this verification process, we may have opportunities to discuss with the US side whether or nor there is a solution besides the current one, but we have not come to that point yet. We are still at the examination stage.

Question:
Concerning the Futenma issue, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will visit Japan from October 21 to 22, during which he will hold talks with you. This visit also has the purpose of smoothing the ground for President Barack Obama's visit to Japan next month, and in this context, the US side will certainly be bringing up the issue of the realignment of US forces, including at Futenma Air Station. How will you approach Defense Secretary Gates on this issue, given that there is no concrete plan within the Japanese Government?

Minister:
Since both Japan and the US are conducting a verification of this issue, I think I will be exchanging views based on these results.

Question:
Although there is no concrete plan, do you think they will be talking about a deadline?

Minister:
With verification work underway, I do not think we will be talking about future steps. As far as I am concerned, I would like to fully explain what kinds of problems we think will arise when carrying out the current plan. These include political, environmental, and cost issues.

13. Japan-China Joint History Research

Question:
My question is about Japan-China Joint History Research. At your speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, you stated that you thought it would perhaps be good if a Japanese-Chinese-Korean history textbook were created in the future. However, in reality, the Japan-China Joint History Research that was launched in 2006 has been put on hold several times and no final report has been released yet. What are your thoughts on this situation and when do you think that the committee will be able to release a final report?

Minister:
I hope they will release a final report as soon as possible. I told this to the Chinese side. Since the report will be something that is the result of academic research and not something released by a government, I believe there should not be any problem in releasing it. Since it has already been compiled to a certain extent, I think that is should be released as soon as possible. I would like to continue to call upon the Chinese side on this point.

Question:
Do you think there is the possibility that the Japanese side will release something by the end of the year?

Minister:
I would think it rather strange if they did not, since it has already been compiled to some extent.

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