Press Conference by the Press Secretary October 3, 1997

Introduction to the Press Conference
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nobuaki Tanaka: I have no announcements to make today, but I will be delighted to respond to any questions that you might have.
Environment
Q: Could you tell us a bit more about the letter that has gone to the United States regarding the five percent proposal from Japan for a reduction in greenhouse gas emission? Can you comment on what the reaction was from the United States?

Spokesman Tanaka: Certainly, this Japanese proposal for the greenhouse gas emission, in connection with the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 3), has been widely reported. In fact, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto has instructed the Government agencies and ministries to come up with a concrete proposal with which Japan could carry out its responsibility as Chair of COP 3 in December. We have been working on this Japanese proposal. Not in the too distant future, we will be in a position to give you the outline. Right now, I refrain from making further comments on this Japanese proposal, its prospects, particularly in dealing with the United States, since we are now engaged in the diplomatic coordination with other countries as well. That is where we stand.

Q: Can you confirm or deny that the letter was actually delivered?

Spokesman Tanaka: I cannot make any comments on the existence of such a letter. However, I can say that Japan and the United States have been in constant touch with each other on this subject, and not in the too distant future, we will be ready to give you the outline.

Q: If you cannot tell us the exact figure, can you confirm for us then that the option of zero percent reduction is no longer an option, and that we are looking at real reductions?

Spokesman Tanaka: As to the content of the possible Japanese proposal, I really cannot make any comments on that. But probably early next week, we will be in a position to give you the details. We do have a deadline though, and the COP 3 meeting is coming very close, and we have to certainly take into account that meeting. Also, we have to take into account the moves by other countries, particularly the fact that in the United States -- even if it is not the occasion to decide on the U.S. proposal -- we have to watch very carefully and follow very closely the events which would take place on 6 October in Washington.
Reports of an airplane flying over Japan's territorial island called Rishiri Island
Q: This morning, a Russian airplane flew into the Northern Territories. Do you have any information on this?

Spokesman Tanaka: We have a report from the Defense Agency stating that on 2 October at approximately 17:17, we identified an unidentified airplane in the air space of our territorial island called Rishiri Island. We tried to contact the plane in English and Russian, and we also scrambled our aircraft. However, the unidentified aircraft had already left the airspace. Therefore, we were not in a position to acknowledge what type of aircraft it was. We are also trying to clarify this situation with Russia.
Mercado Común del Sur (Mercosur)
Q: Why will representatives of Mercosur come and visit Foreign Minister Obuchi?

Spokesman Tanaka: First, we are strengthening our ties with Latin American countries. Secondly, regional cooperation is the direction that many countries over the world are heading toward, because regional cooperation would bring forth certain opportunities and challenges, which could be very beneficial to the countries concerned. With these two points in mind, Mercado Común del Sur (Mercosur) is important for us, and it is natural that if Mercosur comes to Japan, then we will meet.

Q: Do you have an agenda for this?

Spokesman Tanaka: No, but we will certainly give you the details when we have them.
Japanese wives in North Korea
Q: Has Japan received the list of Japanese wives scheduled to come from North Korea?

Spokesman Tanaka: We have not yet received any list from North Korea at this stage. We are certainly working on it in accordance with the framework to which we agreed last month. We are looking forward to seeing these details nailed down as soon as possible.
Japanese food aid to North Korea
Q: Can we expect that Japanese food aid to North Korea will be announced soon, with the delegation going from here to Pyongyang?

Spokesman Tanaka: You have posed me a question with several elements. In the first place, the parties -- whatever the mission concerned that you might have suggested -- the same political parties concerned are now examining the possibility of sending a mission. On this, the Government of Japan is not in a position to make comments. Secondly, on food aid, we are still in the process of reviewing all the conditions. We have to take into account all the factors in deciding on the food aid, based on appeals from the United Nations. The position of the Government of Japan on food aid remains unchanged. Of course, there are many elements to be taken into account. Certainly, the home visit of Japanese wives is one of the elements. However, we have to take into account many other factors.
Preliminary talks on normalization of diplomatic relations with North Korea
Q: The Prime Minister already appointed an ambassador for carrying out negotiations with North Korea. Under what conditions will Ambassador Takahashi work?

Spokesman Tanaka: We have already been engaged in preliminary talks with North Korea on the normalization of diplomatic relations. We have agreed that we would like to see these negotiations be formally launched at the earliest opportunity. Then, perhaps, Ambassador Takahashi may enter the scene. However, we are still distant from that prospect. We certainly hope that that will take place as soon as possible. But right now, we are engaged in preliminary talks with the North Koreans on the normalization. But formal negotiations at the level of the ambassador are not envisaged. We would like to launch it as soon possible.
Japan-Russian Federation relations
Q: Prime Minister Hashimoto will be meeting with President Yeltsin at the beginning of next month. There have already been some requests regarding the Kuril Islands, etc. Has anything been decided?

Spokesman Tanaka: No, in fact, we are now working on these details. We hope that that meeting will be a very constructive one in the overall Japan-Russia relationship. That will be a meeting in which both leaders will sit down in a very secluded, exclusive environment to talk frankly and extensively. So that is not quite the opportunity to decide on various projects or make decisions on this and that small thing. But rather, we hope to see those two leaders sit down and speak frankly on the ways and means to broaden and improve our bilateral relationship in an overall manner. In that sense, it is quite political, and it is quite important in order to strengthen the mutual confidence which has already been established by the two leaders. Prime Minister Hashimoto launched his idea of how Japan approaches Russia in his speech last summer. There, we proposed a way for the improvement in the relationship, based on three principles. We know that President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation welcomed that.

Q: General Lebed in a recent visit said that perhaps nothing will be decided before the year 2002. Does Japan have any more of an optimistic estimate?

Spokesman Tanaka: Certainly you are referring to the territorial issues, are you not?

Q: Yes, that is right.

Spokesman Tanaka: Prime Minister Hashimoto sent a letter to President Yeltsin on 12 September, and he received a letter from President Yeltsin on 25 September. In the letter by Prime Minister Hashimoto, he renewed his determination to further advance our bilateral ties. In the letter that President Yeltsin returned, he expressed his satisfaction for the thrust of the speech that Prime Minister Hashimoto delivered last summer. In particular, he shares the willingness with Prime Minister Hashimoto to remove the burden from the past and construct our bilateral ties in the next century. We believe that in his letter, President Yeltsin, too, seems to have referred to the Tokyo Declaration, and he shared the Japanese view that we need to advance our bilateral ties together with the progress in the territorial issue. So we believe that President Yeltsin shares our view on this.
Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 3)
Q: Regarding COP 3 in Kyoto, it was mentioned on American television that perhaps President Clinton and Vice-President Gore will be attending. Can you confirm the attendance of other world leaders?

Spokesman Tanaka: Not right now, we do not have any information on this. Certainly, in connection with the Nagano Olympics, there will be many dignitaries, perhaps including the Americans. However, regarding COP 3, I do not have information on the modality of the delegation from the United States or other countries.

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