(* 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: Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 4:50 p.m.
Place: MOFA Press Conference Room

Main topics:

Opening Statements
- (1) Establishment of the NGO Advisory Group
- (2) NPT Review Conference
- (3) Establishment of the Declassification of Diplomatic Records and Document Management Measures Headquarters
- (4) Implementation of Questionnaire Survey on Hague Convention
US Military Realignment Issue
ROK Patrol Ship Sinking Incident
Establishment of the Declassification of Diplomatic Records and Document Management Measures Headquarters

1. Opening Statements

(1) Establishment of the NGO Advisory Group

Minister Okada: First of all, with regard to the establishment of the NGO Advisory Group, we actually had just convened the first session of this group, and the NGO Advisory Group on Japan’s International Cooperation has been established under my leadership. Six experts from NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) who particularly have a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding international cooperation have been assigned to the Group as regular members. From now on, I would like to have the regular members, including State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fukuyama and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nishimura, meet about once every two months to give their views on various topics. Of course, depending on the topics, we are thinking about having additional members participate according to each of them.
We, in fact, just held our first session today, and at this session, we had (the participants) give their views on (the issue of) the review of Japan’s ODA (Official Development Assistance) programs. It is my personal theory that NGOs play an extremely significant role in the area of international cooperation. Before the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) came into power, I set up a DPJ parliamentarians’ league for promoting overseas activities by NGOs and engaged in relevant activities. After becoming foreign minister, I have obtained feedback from NGO members on an informal basis, and from now on, I would like to further enhance collaboration in the form of regular consultative meetings.

(2) NPT Review Conference

Minister: Secondly, I spoke over the telephone this morning concerning the NPT Review Conference with Mr. Suda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament, who heads the Japanese Government delegation in New York. He gave me a briefing on the latest situation on the ground regarding recent negotiations. Consensus could not be achieved on the draft chairman’s reports of the major committees respectively handling nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Ambassador Cabactulan, the chair person, will now be presenting the overall draft report and discussions are to be held. The situation is such that the negotiations remain unpredictable till the end. I told Ambassador Suda that the Government of Japan wants him to make a further effort, as (the latest conference) must not end without reaching a consensus like the previous conference did. Amid this situation, as nuclear powers and non-nuclear states are currently in disagreement over nuclear disarmament, I told Ambassador Suda to strive a little more to hold thorough discussions in the field, envisaging a certain level of commitment by the nuclear powers toward nuclear disarmament in the future.

(3) Establishment of the Declassification of Diplomatic Records and Document Management Measures Headquarters

Minister: My third announcement concerns the Declassification of Diplomatic Records and Document Management Measures Headquarters. The first session was held on the 16th of March and after that, five sessions have been held. A series of measures was compiled at yesterday’s meeting, so I would like to give a briefing on the general outline (of those measures). For the details, please refer to the material that will be distributed separately.
   There are four points that I would like to speak about, and the first point is that it has been decided that regulations on declassification of diplomatic documents will be established as a directive of the Foreign Minister based on Article 14 of the National Government Organization Act. The directive takes effect as of today. Taking into consideration the Expert Committee’s report on the so-called secret agreement issue, clarification has been made of such matters as the strict enforcement of the principle of automatic declassification after thirty years and decision-making by the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers. With regard to exceptional cases in which diplomatic records will not be declassified, such cases will be specifically stipulated in the regulations. For example, the minimal cases such as cases in which national security could be specifically jeopardized now or in the future, or cases in which trustful relations with another country could be undermined, will be specifically mentioned, and cases that do not fit these criteria will automatically be declassified. However, it has also been stipulated that cases in which (a diplomatic document) will ultimately not be declassified or in which it is decided that a document is to be destroyed after 30 years would require the approval of the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers. Diplomatic records will be declassified regularly in accordance with these regulations and made available for viewing at the Diplomatic Record Office.
The second is that it has been decided that a Diplomatic Record Declassification Promotion Committee to be headed by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fukuyama will be newly established. The format is such that a comprehensive judgment will be made here on such matters as the order of priority of the declassification of massive amounts of data that are over 30 years old or on the propriety of parts that will not be declassified, and the approval of the Foreign Minister will be obtained in the end. Opinions will be obtained from the Diplomatic Record Declassification Promotion Committee with the participation of experts from the outside. The Committee’s first meeting is scheduled to be held in mid-June. A decision shall first be made here as to what should be declassified first, and I will be making the final decision. I believe that parts that are related to the Japan-US security arrangement will likely be declassified intensively at first.
   The third is that in order to strengthen the system of this document management department in terms of its staff and organization, we plan to gradually increase staffing by recruiting former Foreign Ministry officials and in other ways. We plan to boost the staff from the current 70-person organization to a 100-person organization. We also plan to reorganize the document management department, hopefully by this summer, and set up a new Diplomatic Records and Information Declassification Office.
   The fourth and the last announcement is that in order to improve the document formulation and management system, a part of the existing document management regulations is to be revised. Preparation of a manual for specific document management, enhancement of training programs for changing the way of thinking of ministry officials, and improvement of the facilities of the Diplomatic Record Office are also scheduled to be implemented. We decided on these matters yesterday, and we now plan to implement them in order.

(4) Implementation of Questionnaire Survey on Hague Convention

Minister: My last announcement is on the implementation of a questionnaire survey on the Hague Convention, a treaty concerning the civil aspects of international child abduction.
Currently, studies are being conducted on the possibility of concluding this treaty on the civil aspects of international child abduction, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice playing the central role. The Prime Minister has given us instructions to step up the studies with the next ordinary Diet session as a target.
Now, as a part of studying the possibility of concluding this treaty, we decided to carry out a questionnaire survey among people who have been directly involved in the issue concerning the transfer of children across borders, in order to obtain their opinions. We urge those who have opinions on this issue to view the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the websites of related diplomatic missions abroad. We plan to use the comments that have been sent to us as reference material for our studies. The questionnaire will be uploaded on the MOFA website on the 25th, which is today. Additionally, the questionnaire will be uploaded on the websites of the related diplomatic missions abroad after the 25th, as needed. The diplomatic missions that apply are those in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention or countries and regions where more than 1,000 Japanese nationals reside and which have set up websites. There are 121 such diplomatic missions in total.

2. US Military Realignment Issue

Ukai, Asahi Shimbun: Today, Social Democratic Party Leader Fukushima is visiting Okinawa. She is opposed to (relocating Futenma Air Station to) Henoko, but the other day, Prime Minister Hatoyama went to Okinawa to make a plea to the community around Henoko. It seems to me that there is a large mismatch within the Cabinet, but how do you view this?

Minister: I have been aware of the Social Democratic Party's thinking (on this matter) for some time. However, within the Cabinet the Prime Minister himself has now gone to Okinawa and spoken of the direction he wishes to take. Of course, I do not think that there will necessarily be official coordination with the Social Democratic Party within the Cabinet, but as a member of the Cabinet, I think that the Prime Minister made an extremely tough decision, and I think that it would be appropriate to give this a certain level of consideration.

Iwakami, Freelance: I have a question about the Futenma Air Station relocation issue. At Minister Kamei's press conference this morning, when I asked a question about this issue, he responded in detail, but he said that a complete resolution to this issue is still not in sight, and that he was not speaking about the final resolution, and that there was still a possibility of pursuing the possibility of (moving Futenma) outside of the country or outside of the prefecture. He also responded that we had to value the positions of the coalition partners: the People's New Party, and the Social Democratic Party in particular. My question is about the Social Democratic Party, with which you now have a coalition, but I again think that there is a gap between the views of these two coalition partners, what the Prime Minister said, and what you have said now. Could you please respond regarding this point, on the gap between, shall we say the option of (relocating to) other than Henoko, or the possibility, and the statement that you will pursue that?

Minister: Of course, the Cabinet still has not confirmed or decided anything. I think that this is why the views of Party Leader Kamei have also come out, but in any case, I think that this will become clear at the end of the month.

Kajiwara, NHK: I believe that this will happen at the end of the month, and that Japan and the United States will exchange an agreement. Meanwhile, at a glance it would appear that the Government of Japan is not able to exchange an agreement with another country at the stage where some members of the Cabinet are clearly in opposition, so please give us your views on this.

Minister: This is why I think it is a matter of course that to a certain degree a conclusion will be reached within the Cabinet by the end of the month.

Kajiwara, NHK: If this is the case, then is it your view that an agreement must be exchanged in a state with the Cabinet members in agreement by the end of the month?

Minister: The current direction of the agreement between Japan and the United States is 2+2. Therefore, it will be between myself and Defense Minister Kitazawa, and Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates. However, we have been discussing this agreement with the precondition that it be accepted by the Cabinet, so I think that the common-sense view is that it would be extremely difficult to imagine that a 2+2 document could exist completely without regard to the Cabinet.

Hashimoto, Jiji Press: Last week, when Secretary of State Clinton came (to Japan), she said that they want to find a solution that is "operationally viable and politically sustainable." The Prime Minister went to Okinawa, and stated that (it would be) close to Henoko, while the Mayor of Nago said clearly that he opposed this, and the Governor also said that it would be difficult. Then, as stated in the question earlier, there is also the situation within the coalition. Do you think that a location near Henoko as stated by the Prime Minister is really politically sustainable for the Government of Japan? And have you explained things in this way to the US side?

Minister: Of course, the situation in Okinawa at the current time – the fact that the situation is not appropriate – is as we have been discussing now. Therefore, I think that as the Government, we must strive to decide on a proposal, and take this proposal to the people of Okinawa and gain their understanding of it.

Takimoto, Ryukyu Shimpo: This very morning, the three ruling parties were speaking about a memorandum of understanding exchanged among the (three) ruling party Diet Affairs Committee chairmen at their meeting. This memorandum of understanding was apparently about continuing to pursue (a relocation) out of the prefecture or out of the country, while solidifying the three-party coalition. What are your views on such matters being discussed within the ruling parties at the Diet Affairs Committee chairmen's meeting?

Minister: I do not think that any decisive conclusion came out of it, so I will refrain from commenting. Regarding what you have just said as well, there is still the matter of the time span in which they are considering things, and I do not think that it is proper for me to speak about that.

Takimoto, Ryukyu Shimpo: This is about the base at Kadena. There was an incident with cluster bombs, which I asked about before. Yesterday, they attempted to load MK77 incendiary bombs, which are an improved form of napalm munitions. In the end, they did not load them, but they were observed carrying them to the runway, where they were about to load them. I think that there is a worldwide trend toward banning bombs in the form of these napalm munitions, but it has long been the case that the US military has not revealed the use of these, including the matter of the cluster munitions, in operational matters. I also asked this the last time, but going a step further, although we cannot confirm this, and the other side will not answer, I would further like to ask about the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the Government of Japan, since these are being used within the country of Japan, or at least it is suspected that they are.

Minister: What I said before was the way that they were being used was for training, and they were not used in operations. With regard to cluster munitions as well, the treaty banning them bans their actual use, so the situation is not necessarily the same. And, I do not think that napalm bombs and cluster bombs can be discussed as if they were identical, but at any rate, I would like the US military to act with a certain level of sensibility.

Kawasaki, Yomiuri Shimbun: Earlier, I believe that you stated your intention for Japan and the United States to make an agreement, and then somehow gain the understanding of the people of Okinawa. As you know, however, in the 14 years since 1996, there have been continual difficulties in making progress. So there are concerns that if you go and gain yet another agreement over Okinawa, that it could be prolonged even further, but please tell us your views as of the current time on why no progress has been made over the past 14 years, and whether you have any concerns that it could be prolonged even further.

Minister: This will soon be revealed, but this draft agreement contains a wide range of measures to reduce the burden on Okinawa. It is certainly my wish to make progress, while explaining this properly, including this fact, and at the same time while gaining the understanding of the Japanese people of the need for bases in Okinawa from a standpoint of deterrence. Until now, there has been almost no debate at the national level over the purpose of the existence of the US military (in Japan), and we have at least been unable to gain the understanding of the Japanese people. I think that this recent series of events has substantially increased the understanding of the Japanese people, and I would like to move forward while gaining proper understanding of these facts as well.

Tanaka, Nihon Internet Shimbun: I have a question about Futenma. You initially spoke of a proposal to integrate it with Kadena, but now that things have become so complicated with Henoko, and the possibility has emerged that Futenma will not move a single millimeter, haven't you had the occasion to think that your initial proposal to integrate with Kadena was the correct one?

Minister: I do not think that it will not move a single millimeter, so I would like to somehow obtain a proper understanding of the approach stated by the Prime Minister.

Kamide, Freelance: I have a question relating to Futenma. You said something extremely important right now: that we have come to this point without a national debate. Time-wise, it would be difficult to go back and do this retrospectively. Although I do not know that kind of agreement will come out, this means that in this situation, it is not possible that everything will go smoothly. Before, you yourself spoke about what form a national discussion would take, and the results of the public opinion poll. And I think that you spoke with the precondition that security be recognized, in what form do you intend to gain the understanding of the Japanese people, and create this national discussion?

Minister: I think that this matter is already being discussed among the Japanese people everywhere. I have explained that the Self-Defense Forces alone cannot ensure Japan's safety, and although there have been many views in reaction to this, I think that the understanding of a large number of the Japanese people has been advanced. This means that the presence of the US military is therefore necessary. I think that the fact that this kind of discussion has been ongoing for these past several months shows that there has been progress.

3. ROK Patrol Ship Sinking Incident

Beppu, NHK: This is about the situation in North Korea. The Prime Minister mentioned independent sanctions by Japan, but Japan has actually already applied a wide range of sanctions, and I think it will be hard to come up with options. I think it is also an issue of creating a sense of speed, but what are your views on what areas can be strengthened?

Minister: No particular timetable has been decided. However, things like timing are also a factor, so I do not think that a very long time will be spent on discussion. As to the particulars, they are now being considered, so I think it best not to say too much in advance.

Nishioka, Mainichi Newspapers: With regard to the patrol-ship incident, does the Government of Japan plan to urge North Korea not to take measures that undermine regional peace and stability via the route of the embassy in Beijing?

Minister: I have not heard of (this). However, if you see the announcement of the Government of Japan, then the assertions of the Government of Japan will be clear.

Mizushima, Jiji Press: I would like to confirm regarding the response by the UN Security Council; I think that Republic of Korea (ROK) will take an action probably aiming at sanctions resolution. Am I correct in thinking that Japan is prepared to cosponsor a proposal?

Minister: I would like to consider (the matter) after properly ascertaining the aims of ROK. I think that it is still too early to speak of concrete things like cosponsoring a proposal. Even if there is a discussion in the UN Security Council, there is also the Iran issue, and also the question of the order in which the topics will be addressed. We must also ascertain the situations of the member countries. I think that it is best not to get too far ahead of the discussion.

Koyama, freelance: Can I assume that there is no possibility of military action against North Korea by the US military or ROK military?

Minister: I am not a prognosticator, so I do not intend to say anything definitive, but I think that it can be stated clearly that the Government of the ROK is not considering military actions.

4. Establishment of the Declassification of Diplomatic Records and Document Management Measures Headquarters

Nishino, Kyodo News: I would like to ask you about the declassification of diplomatic records. You said that (the Expert Committee’s report on) the secret agreement issue was being taken into consideration, but first, please point out once again, from the perspective of the relationship between diplomacy and the people as well as information disclosure and democracy in Japan, the significance of the fact that this time (diplomatic records) are to be automatically declassified after 30 years.

Minister: Confidentiality is an inherent part of diplomacy. However, sometimes things that should not be done are being done on the pretext that diplomatic secrets are necessary. I believe that declassifying a document after a certain length of time has elapsed will serve to trigger a verification of whether the judgment made at that time was appropriate. I also believe that this is an important matter that bears extensively on the fundamental elements of democracy. The 30-year rule has existed in the past, but it is a fact that there has been a tendency not to declassify due to the conservative nature of the bureaucratic system that made that possible. I believe that by making it (declassification after 30 years) a rule and incorporating (recommendations by) external third parties or decision-making by the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers, the scope of declassification has been widened dramatically. By maintaining this guideline, we would like to definitely bring about foreign policies that can withstand verification in the years to come.

Nishino, Kyodo News: I am looking forward to 30 years into the future with regard to the course of events since last year surrounding the Futenma Air Station issue, but putting that aside…

Minister: Shall I write a memoir before that?

Nishino, Kyodo News: Before that, as you just mentioned, bureaucratic discretion will be eliminated and decisions will be made by the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers. Decisions on the destruction of documents or not declassifying them would be made by the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers. Will such decision-making by the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers also be subject to information disclosure? I believe that this is because confidence in the system is assured by having lawmakers bear risks, so to speak, but unless that part is clarified, I think that as a system, it lacks the finishing touches. What do you think?

Minister: First of all, let me say that this will involve not only the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers, but also third party (members). When it comes to destroying documents, I feel that we must make it clear as to what kinds of documents were destroyed. Of course, we cannot check destroyed documents after the fact, but documents are destroyed because they are not worth keeping or are of no value in saving them. Therefore, it is natural to make it clearly visible as to what kinds of documents were destroyed and who was in charge at the time. Additionally, with regard to the case when it is determined (that a document) would not be declassified, we will review that decision every five years. In other words, even if it is decided that a document would not be declassified after 30 years, the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers (who are serving those posts) at the 35th year, or five years later, or the third party (members) at the time would make a decision once again. Since a decision will be made every five years, there could naturally arise a situation in which a document is opened on the 35th year and it may be questioned why that document was not declassified five years ago. In that sense, it would be natural (for the officials in charge at the time) to explicitly bear the responsibility for not declassifying certain documents or for destroying them.

Yoshinaga, Mainichi Newspapers: You mentioned that decisions will be made by the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers, but that means that the criteria for declassification could differ depending on who is serving in those posts at that time. What are your thoughts on this point?

Minister: If you say that “there may be some changes depending on the people,” that may be true, but in principle, the Committee makes the decision based on the regulations, and that decision is referred to the Minister, State Secretaries, and Parliamentary Vice-Ministers. Therefore, even though I understand what you are saying in the logical sense, if you say that, I think that you could say that all decisions made by people can differ depending on those people. However, it is clarified in the regulations as to the kind of cases in which (documents) will not be declassified.
Let me repeat this. Article 7 of the Regulations says that "if the information mentioned in the following subparagraphs is included in the entire administrative document or part of the administrative document, public access to the document in question can be restricted. However, the restrictions on public access must be kept at the minimum necessary.
1. Information mentioned in Subparagraph 1 of Article 5 of the Law Concerning Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs (referred to as information concerning an individual);
2. Information mentioned in Subparagraph 2 or Section (a) or Section (e) under Subparagraph 6 of Article 5 of the Law Concerning Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs (referred to as information concerning a corporation or other entity and information that concerns the affairs or business [conducted by an organ of the State, an incorporated administrative agency, etc., a local public entity or a local incorporated administrative agency])
3. Information that, if made public, the Foreign Minister with adequate reason deems to pose a risk of harm to the security of the State, a risk of damage to trustful relations with another country or an international organization, or a risk of causing a disadvantage in negotiations with another country or an international organization."

Ukai, Asahi Shimbun: With regard to destroying diplomatic documents, I believe that destroying, in short, means that it was impossible to keep the diplomatic documents forever due to a lack of sufficient storage space, and consequently there were provisions concerning destruction (of documents), and the number of years that (the documents) would be kept has been stipulated until now. I think that as it has recently become possible to store information in various forms such as electronic data, do you have any plans to review such aspects?

Minister: I believe that such discussions are possible. However, since there is such a huge volume (of information), it is a lot of work just to search for them. Therefore, I am certain that the documents are currently classified into those that may be destroyed after three years or five years according to their contents. Some documents such as those that are simple messages are destroyed before 30 years have elapsed. I think that you can understand that, if you think about that in terms of your own companies. I believe that it is unrealistic to keep everything.

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