(* 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 Hirofumi Nakasone

Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 9:40 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Opening Statement
- ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings

1. Opening Statement

ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings

Minister:
My attendance of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' meetings that will be held from today in Phuket, Thailand was approved at this morning's Cabinet Meeting.

Question:
The ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) will be held in Thailand from today. Please tell us whether five-party talks are scheduled to be held as well as if there is any plan to have some sort of contact between Japan and North Korea, as North Korea will be attending.

Minister:
Currently, there are no concrete plans to hold five-party talks. Either way, as I have been stating for some time, five-party talks are not an alternative to the Six-Party Talks and it is important for North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible. However, I believe that five-party talks may be one way to advance the Six-Party Talks. I plan to discuss with the other countries concerned on how to resume the Six-Party Talks at an early date and on an effective way to realize North Korea's nuclear abandonment, and if five-party talks will contribute to the swift resumption of the Six-Party Talks, I think it would be a good thing. As for contact with North Korea, while it seems true that North Korea will attend, I cannot say at this point whether there will be any contact.

Question:
Today is the day of the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and we are concerned on the days ahead leading up to the elections as they will determine the fate of the Aso Administration as well as that of the LDP. It seems unusual for a minister to leave for an international conference such as the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' meetings at such a time when the election campaigns are about to start. Do you have something in particular that you would like to call for there or some particular purpose?

Minister:
Even though the House of Representatives will be dissolved, the current Cabinet does not end today. I have my job and responsibilities as Minister for Foreign Affairs and the international conference was scheduled from before. It will be a gathering of various countries to discuss important issues, so I believe that it is natural that I attend and I intend to firmly voice Japan's position on various issues there. I especially plan to continue to call on other countries for North Korean issues as I have been doing for some time. I believe it is important for Japan to strongly call for the resolution of issues such as the North Korean nuclear issue, the various concerns between Japan and North Korea including the abduction issue, and furthermore -- as a very current issue -- to call on other countries to firmly implement the UN resolution. These are issues that I would like to request understanding and cooperation on and as such it is a very important conference and that is why I obtained approval to attend.

Question:
It is highly likely, especially at the ARF, that the North Korean side will attend -- although it is not known at which level -- and I believe that it is an important opportunity for Japan to convey its message to the North Korean representative in an official capacity. Is there anything in particular you would like to convey to the North Korean side?

Minister:
I do not know at this point what level the representative from North Korea will be, but I plan to actively raise the North Korean issues at the conference. Of course these will be conveyed there to the North Korean side, so I plan to actively speak on these issues even more so than usual.

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