Top > Announcement > Press Conference by Foreign Minister > July 27, 2012

(* 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 Koichiro Gemba

Date: Friday, July 27, 2012, 9:14 a.m.
Place: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

  1. Opening Remarks
    • (1) Visit to Russia
    • (2) Reorganization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • (3) Deployment of MV-22 Ospreys to Japan
  2. The visit to Russia
  3. The deployment of MV-22 Ospreys in Japan

1. Opening Remarks

(1) Visit to Russia

Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba: I leave for Russia today and will meet Foreign Minister Lavrov in Sochi on the coast of the Black Sea, on Saturday, July 28. Then, I will make a courtesy call on President Putin.

In changing strategic environments in the Asia-Pacific region, further development of Japan-Russia relations will be in line with the strategic benefits for both countries. Based on this belief during the visit this time I would like to discuss wide-ranging areas related to cooperation between the two countries and major issues the international community is facing.

Needless to say, to enhance the collaboration between Japan and Russia in various fields, the support from the citizens of both countries and mutual trust between Japan and Russia are important.

I would like to advance substantial discussions on the territorial issues at the Foreign Minister level. I hope that this meeting will be the first step toward resolution of the issue.

(2) Reorganization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister Gemba: I will reorganize some divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of August 1 to allow our organization to implement more flexible diplomacy in line with domestically and internationally changing situations in recent years. Today’s Cabinet meeting has approved the modification of the Order for Organization for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable the reorganization.

Specifically, we will integrate the Press Secretariat and the Public Diplomacy Department to promote the three pillars, namely media relations, public diplomacy, and cultural exchanges to strengthen our strategic information dissemination. We will namely establish the Second China and Mongolia Division based on economic development in China as well as expanded and deepened of Japan-China economic relations. Furthermore, we will create the African Affairs Department to enable effective and efficient diplomacy vis-a-vis Africa.

(3) Deployment of MV-22 Ospreys to Japan

Minister Gemba: Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a Japan-U.S. Joint Committee meeting. It was the first time that the Osprey issue was discussed in this committee. I have received a report that the meeting was fruitful as the first time.

I have heard that both countries had frank and active discussions on various issues in line with what I myself have always been thinking about. The attendees discussed the expansion of concerns over the safety of MV-22 across Japan in addition to Okinawa and Iwakuni, concerns felt by Japanese citizens about multiple aspects of the Osprey including training implemented at low altitudes, and necessity for both Japan and the Unites States to offer wisdom to think about what can be done. I have been briefed that the United States was cooperative as they showed understanding of the concerns by local citizens to think about what can be done.

Yesterday, I met Mr. Donilon, National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, and shared the view with him that we need to further collaborate to eliminate the concerns felt by Japanese citizens through various initiatives including provision of necessary information for the Government of Japan to explain safety of the Osprey to the Japanese citizens. Mr. Donilon said he would be happy to work with Japan through various measures.

Today a meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., involving director-general-level officials in charge of diplomacy and national defense from both countries. They will discuss what actions they will take to deal with the concerns shown by local Japanese citizens.

The Governments of Japan and the U.S. will continue to utilize various occasions such as the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee to discuss the safety of the Osprey aircraft and its operations. Through these initiatives, we would like to make maximum efforts to obtain understanding of local Japanese citizens.

2. The visit to Russia

Hoga, TBS: Let me ask about your visit to Russia. As Prime Minister Medvedev landed on Kunashiri Island a while ago, we are more concerned about the territorial issue. How far are you going to discuss this issue through the meeting?

Minister Gemba: Prime Minister Medvedev’s landing on Kunashiri Island contradicts the Japanese stance on the issue. I will deal with it based on this basic belief. However, territorial issues cannot be resolved by just aggravating relations between the two countries.

As I consider comprehensively and develop an outlook on the current international situations and future Japan-Russia relations, I have made a judgement that we need to have dialogues with Russia.

Since this is what has been agreed on between the leaders of the two countries, I hope this visit will prompt further meetings between the leaders.

Hoga, TBS: Will you mention that you regret the visit by Prime Minister Medvedev?

Minister Gemba: As I just said, his visit to Kunashiri Island contradicts the position of Japan. So I will definitely deal with the situation based on Japan’s basic stance, at least. Based on this, it is important to start substantial discussions.

Ando, Hokkaido Shimbun: In parallel with the territorial issues, you will probably deal with economic issues. As you will make a courtesy call to President Putin, will you discuss economic cooperation matters with him since he seems to have high expectations of this topic?

Minister Gemba: I would naturally discuss economic issues with him.

I believe we are currently exposed to global competitions for our survival. Against this backdrop, strategic environments surrounding both Japan and Russia have been changing. Potentialities in the economic area you just mentioned are definitely there, but are not utilized yet by either of these two countries, so we need to utilize them. However, the Northern Territories issue has been the biggest obstacle to our efforts to that end.

Without resolving the issue of the attribution of the four islands and concluding a peace treaty, we will not be able to build a real trust-based relationship with Russia and utilize the potentialities in the economic area in a full-fledged manner. As I repeatedly mentioned, therefore, it is important to resolve the territorial issue while advancing cooperation with Russia in various areas. .

Takahashi, Hokkaido Shimbun: Let me ask about a possible future of economic relations with Russia. If Russia proposes joint economic activities in the Northern Territories, will Japan continue to take the existing approach to that proposal or take a new approach to move the situation forward?

Minister Gemba: As I said before, we should not do anything detrimental to the legal position of Japan. This is a principle we should never change. My priority is not to damage the legal position of Japan. So both Japan and Russia should think hard to find out what can be done in the way that does not damage the legal position.

3. The deployment of MV-22 Ospreys in Japan

Miyagi, Ryukyu Shimpo: You repeatedly mention that no Osprey aircraft will be in operation until their safety is confirmed in preparation for full-scale deployment. After you confirm the safety of Ospreys, do you think the explanation of the safety to local Japanese citizens to obtain their understanding is a prerequisite before the full-scale deployment?

Minister Gemba: As you mention “understanding” of local citizens there is an issue of how we measure the understanding, frankly speaking. I do not prioritize the schedule over everything else. This is what I have been thinking. This is what I have said many times so far. It is of utmost importance for the Japanese government to proactively confirm the safety of Ospreys on our own responsibilities and provide explanation including the prevention of related accidents in an easy-to-understand manner. To further deepen understanding of local citizens we also need to work on operational issues of Ospreys, including its low-altitude flights, through frequent consultations. These actions will lead to dispelling over safety. In parallel, we need to explain the need in terms of the security of the Nansei Shoto Islands, and of Japan.

I believe that it is important for us to accumulate these efforts one by one right now. To that end, I would like to have consultations in various occasions including the meeting being held in Washington, D.C. today.

Some people suspect that the Japanese Government has been silent towards the United States in the past. Frankly speaking, we have been going through heated discussions with the United States. Through these discussions, we determined not to operate the Ospreys until the safety is confirmed, and I do not prioritize the schedule over everything else. On the other hand, a power vacuum could lead to serious situations in terms of Japan’s security. So what we are currently thinking about is to closely explain security and, above all, confirmation of safety, that is to say deployment of the Ospreys in place of the current CH-46E would be alright.

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