(* 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 Takeaki Matsumoto

Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 4:49 p.m.
Place: MOFA Press Conference Room

Main topics:

Opening Remarks
- (1) Visit to Japan by H.E. Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Mrs. Naly Sisoulith
Emergency Grant Aid in Response to Famine in the "Horn of Africa"
High-speed Train Accident in China
Situation in North Korea
Collision Incident between Japan Coast Guard Patrol Vessels and a Chinese Fishing Trawler in Japanese Territorial Waters off the Senkaku Islands
Situation in Myanmar
Abduction Issue

1. Opening Remarks

(1) Visit to Japan by H.E. Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Mrs. Naly Sisoulith

Minister Matsumoto: His Excellency Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and Mrs. Naly Sisoulith will visit Japan from August 1 to August 4 as guests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his stay in Japan, Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun is scheduled to hold talks with me. Besides, he willexchange views with government officials, Diet members and business executives. Furthermore, Prime Minister Thongloun is scheduled to visit Natori City in Miyagi Prefecture, in order to show solidarity between Japan and Lao PDR in efforts toward reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

2. Emergency Grant Aid in Response to Famine in the "Horn of Africa"

Inada, NHK: I would like to ask you about the drought in East Africa. A very serious drought still continues in East Africa. Because of this drought, over 10 million refugees have been flowing out mostly from Somalia. What is your recognition of the current situation of this drought? Meanwhile, the FAO and other UN agencies have been calling for international support. Please tell us how the Government of Japan is going to respond to this situation.

Minister: I understand that there is a very serious humanitarian crisis as you pointed out. I have received a report stating that it is the worst famine in the past few years. In my understanding, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moo has requested emergency aids.
As an emergency response of Japan, we decided at the Cabinet Meeting of the 19th (of July) to provide an emergency grant aid of five million dollars with consideration of the serious famine in the "Horn of Africa," and we are planning to implement this in cooperation with the WFP as announced here last Tuesday.

Inada, NHK: NGOs, on the other hand, are pointing out that support from developed countries, in particular, is very slow and the amount of their aids is insufficient. Is Japan going to increase its aids in the future or provide a separate aid?

Minister: We do not think that our support in response to the request is belated. We are going to implement this aid first. Japan as a member of the international community has been providing necessary support in the past. Japan will continue providing humanitarian support not only for this case but also for other cases, if necessary, with consideration of the circumstances. At this stage, first of all, we are going to implement the support that has been decided.

3. High-speed Train Accident in China

Lee, Hong Kong Phoenix TV: I have a question about the recent accident of the high-speed railway accident in China. There have been various statements from the Japan side on the investigation of the accident and determination of the cause of the accident since the accident took place. I would like to hear your opinion about the accident. Furthermore, the railway has already resumed the service. What do you think about it?
A Japanese Minister stated as well that Japan would like to provide technology and cooperate in the investigation of the accident. What technology, in particular, would you like to provide from Japan? Please also tell us whether it is because China's investigation of the case is insufficient.

Minister: Regrettably, it was a very big accident, and first of all, I must send my condolences and sympathy to the people who lost their lives, their family members, and those who were injured.
I understand that China has started the investigation and verification of the accident presently. I am not aware of the concrete technology, but I understand that Japan is in a position to be willing to cooperate with China if China needs our technology or investigation.

Lee, Hong Kong Phoenix TV: Please give us your comment on the accident.

Minister: It was a very big accident, and as I mentioned, it is my honest feeling that I would like to send my condolences and sympathy from the bottom of my heart to those who suffered damage.
I do not know the background of the accident, and I understand that the cause of the accident is still under investigation. Therefore, I am not in a position to comment on the accident. However, I really regret that such a serious accident took place after all.

4. Situation in North Korea

Saito, Kyodo News: I would like to ask a question about the movements of each country toward the nuclear issue of North Korea.
There is a report that North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan has already arrived in the United States. We understand that U.S.-DPRK Talks will be held soon. How does the Government of Japan position the U.S.-DPRK Talks and what does the Government expect from the talks?
Furthermore, to what extent is the momentum for resuming the Six-Party Talks growing now or is it not growing? Please tell us your recognition of the present situation and tell us how the Government of Japan will be involved with the resuming of the Talks?

Minister: As I have mentioned repeatedly here, with regard to the nuclear, abduction, and missile issues over North Korea, the door to dialogue has been opened, and we firmly want to avoid engaging in dialogue for dialogue's sake. When we held talks with the U.S. and South Korea last week, I was convinced that Japan, U.S., and South Korea have been sharing this recognition.
As for the U.S.-DPRK Talks that you mentioned, I understand that the holding of the Talks were announced to the public from the U.S. side last weekend. The U.S. side's announcement connoted that it would be a kind of preliminary meeting. In my understanding, it will be an opportunity to solve the issues through dialogue without engaging in dialogue for dialogue's sake.
Prior to the holding of the U.S.-DPRK Talks, the North and South leaders attending the Six-Party Talks held the North-South Talks. As I mentioned, we must affirmatively accept the opportunity of dialogue. At the same time, we would like to promote cooperation with the United States and South Korea on the concrete development of the issues while sharing information closely among the three.
In that sense, I understand that the Six-Party Talks serve as an effective framework to solve the issues, the function of which is meaningful. Meanwhile, I think that repeated efforts will be necessary in order to avoid dialogue for dialogue's sake. At present, the North-South Talks have been just held, but the U.S.-DPRK Talks have not yet started. In view of the present situation, I think that we should judge how we will be able to make progress from the contents of the dialogue between the United States and North Korea.

Saito, Kyodo News: I would like to ask about two points in what you mentioned.
First, there is a principle that Japan, the United States, and South Korea continuously call for North Korea's specific action. What does it mean by the specific action? I would like to hear your explanation of it at the present stage, if possible.
The second point is the Japan-DPRK Talks. I would like to confirm whether the Government of Japan intends to hold the Japan-DPRK talks apart from the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible.

Minister: I think that the Six-Party Talks will cover all the nuclear, abduction, and missile issues. As you mentioned, Japan, the United States, and South Korea share the idea that a specific action indicated will lead to the advancement of dialogue. As you think, the specific action is assumed to include various assumptions in fact. It is our understanding that our message requesting that North Korea should make progress with a concrete action has reached North Korea. We would like to see how North Korea will act in response to the request and properly evaluate its action.
As for the Japan-DPRK Talks, I think that my idea has been already understood as I have been reiterating in public places like here that I do not refuse dialogue. At the same time, we would like to advance the dialogue in a way that we can make concrete progress. In that sense, we would like to make arrangements while carefully considering whether it will make progress to be in a hurry to advance the dialogue.

Ogawa, Yomiuri Shimbun: There is a media report with regard to Japan-DPRK relations that Hiroshi Nakai, former State Minister for Dealing with Pyongyang's Past Abductions of Japanese Nationals, met with North Korea's high ranking official last week in China. State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yutaka Banno responded at yesterday's press conference that MOFA was not aware of it or involved with it. On the other hand, there is criticism that such a consultation held without MOFA's awareness would not be favorable as it would result in dual diplomacy.
From that viewpoint, do you intend to confirm whether former State Minister Nakai held the consulation? If you do not, please tell us what you think of the criticism against dual diplomacy.

Minister: It is hard to answer your question because it contains too many assumes, but I am aware that Minister Nakano mentioned at a press conference that former State Minister Nakai said to Minister Nakano that the former State Minister did not hold a consultation.

5. Collision Incident between Japan Coast Guard Patrol Vessels and a Chinese Fishing Trawler in Japanese Territorial Waters off the Senkaku Islands

Matsudo, Ryukyu Shimpo: I would like to ask about the incident of the collision with Chinese fishing trawler that happened near the Senkaku Islands. The Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution made the second resolution for the prosecution the other day and the captain who was not prosecuted is to be compulsorily prosecuted. According to the statement from the Chinese side, they claim that the Senkaku Islands are Chinese territory and the Japanese regulation applied in that area by itself is illegal. What do you think about this statement as the Minister? And one more question. I think there is a mutual legal assistance treaty between Japan and China. Do you plan to encourage Chinese side to have the captain who is to be compulsorily prosecuted appear in a Japanese court?

Minister: Starting with the latter question, I understand that necessary procedures shall be executed based on laws and regulations. I don't see, however, that this particular issue gets matured enough for us to take any action or make any decision yet.
Regarding the first question about Japan's position on the Senkaku Islands, Japan’s position is that the Senkaku Islands are Japan's inherent territory and we effectively control them, thus there exist no territorial issues. Therefore, although I cannot verify it right now, if China made the statement in such a way as you just described, Japan could not accept it.

6. Situation in Myanmar

Kamide, Freelance: Some activities to improve relationship between the military junta and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi are reported in some media outlets. Slightly unlike Europe and the United States, Japan has already evaluated the military junta somewhat positively although I'm not sure whether it is proper to call it a certain level of positive evaluation. Having that in mind, please tell us your latest opinions about the Japanese Government's evaluation of the current Myanmar Government on the democratization issue, and reasons and future responses of concrete modification of support policy including on-going activities if any.

Minister: We have commented that we positively evaluated the general election and transition to a civil government of the last year as a progressive step and we communicated this to the Government of the Myanmar via a foreign ministers' meeting and a visit to Myanmar of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Kikuta. We also told that further promotions of national reconciliation, rule of law, and democracy were necessary, and that closer communication with Europe and the United States was required.

Myanmar was invited to the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings and the meeting among the United States and nations in the Mekong area. I was there and they attended as well. The way of expressing may vary depending on nations and also the each nation may possess distinct tone. But, I think that the nations who do not value the national election and the transition to a civil government at all are not necessarily the majority. Although it is not necessary for us to be exactly aligned with Europe and the United States, I don't think that the judgment by each country varies so differently in that token under the given situation.

Also, when Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Kikuta visited Myanmar, as a future way of considerations we mentioned that we would like to increase economic assistance and human interactions in the area of so-called basic human needs, health and education, and economic relationship if possible. Among those, the human interactions such as invitation of young party members for interaction with Japan have been partially started already and young people from multiple parties of Myanmar visited Japan and already went back home.

7. Abduction Issue

Nagai, Nihon Keizai Shimbun: Regarding the abduction issues, I think that the Japanese Government has worked to raise the interest among the international society and to ask for cooperation. There being a dialogue between the North and South last week and a dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea this week, please tell us your thoughts on how Japan will appeal to the international society.

Minister: The Japanese Government thinks that we definitely aim to solve the issue with diplomatic efforts since it is a matter of Japanese nationals, and at the same time we would like to be understood and supported by many nations. In that sense, I referred to the abduction issue at the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings, so-called multilateral meetings, asked them to understand the current situations, and emphasized the necessity of progress including the reinvestigation of August 2008. Also, you can suppose that at every opportunity such as Japan-US-Korea talks etc., we have sought understanding from each nation by means of expressing our willingness to deal with the issues to solve soon. I suppose that at least diplomatic authorities understand this very well.

Nagai, Nihon Keizai Shimbun: Do you mean that it includes activities to persuade the U.S. to add the abduction issues into the agenda of the dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea this week?

Minister: We have asked the United States at any time. I would like to refrain from making a comment about individual and concrete efforts now, but I think that the Unites States understands our activities sufficiently as our ally.

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