Top > Announcement > Press Conference by Foreign Minister > July 31, 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: Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 8:34 a.m.
Place: Front Entrance Hall, Prime Minister's Office

Main topics:

  1. Opening Remarks
    • (1) Disclosure of Diplomatic Records
  2. Deployment of the Ospreys in Japan

1. Opening Remarks

(1) Disclosure of Diplomatic Records

Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba: Today diplomatic records files will be disclosed. The main titles include the first Summit in Rambouillet, France, in 1975, the Negotiations for the Return of Okinawa, the Normalization of Japan-China Relations, and Japan-US Textile Negotiations. In particular, this is the first time to disclose the files in relation to the summit meeting, so I think this has historic significance.

Ever since we accelerated disclosure of diplomatic records in October of last year, we have disclosed more than 5,500 files. Furthermore, since the first meeting of the Diplomatic Records Disclosure Promotion Council in June 2010, we have disclosed over 7,000 files. We would like to continue active disclosure of diplomatic records, which are the common intellectual property of the Japanese people.

2. Deployment of the Ospreys in Japan

Watanabe, Nippon Television: A candidate who opposes the deployment of the Ospreys has won the election for the Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture last weekend. Could you give us a comment on this?

Minister Gemba: I don't think that is really an accurate question. First of all, I wonder if it is appropriate for me to make comments on election results. I would like to offer my congratulations to Mr. Yamamoto. I have known him personally since his time in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). I hope to have a good communication with him concerning security issues and other matters.

Back to Index