Press Conference by the Press Secretary November 14, 1997

Press conference announcements
1. Confidence-building in the Asia-Pacific region
  Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hiroshi Hashimoto: I have two announcements. First, since Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's visit to the People's Republic of China, active visits by the leaders of Japan, the United States of America, China and the Russian Federation have been conducted, ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Japan considers it very important that each bilateral relationship among the four countries develop positively, with the Japan-United States relationship remaining the cornerstone for Japanese foreign policy. A forum for political dialogue among the four countries could contribute to confidence-building in the region, complementing respective bilateral relations. However, we have to examine every aspect of ways to achieve this goal.
2. Situation in the Republic of Iraq
  Spokesman Hashimoto: The second announcement is related to the situation in the Republic of Iraq. This morning, Director-General Seiichiro Noboru of the Middle East and African Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered an invitation to the ChargJ d'Affairs ad interim of Iraq to Japan Muhsin Miro Ali and expressed the following. First, it is significant that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1137 was adopted by consensus on 12 November, and the Government of Iraq must take this resolution seriously. In this resolution, the United Nations Security Council called upon the Government of Iraq to withdraw its decision made on 29 October to deport U.S. inspectors from the United Nations Special Committee (UNSCOM) and to unconditionally and fully cooperate with UNSCOM promptly in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. For Iraq, there is no way but to sincerely implement this resolution if it is to recover its position in the international community. Japan also calls upon the Government of Iraq to fully implement Resolution 1137. Second, Japan is deeply concerned with the fact that the Government of Iraq has decided on the prompt deportation of the American inspectors in UNSCOM, and that it continues to refuse U-2 planes' reconnaissance flights. This situation is potentially dangerous. Third, at the press conference on 10 November, given by Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz of the Republic of Iraq in the United Nations, Deputy Prime Minister Aziz mentioned in his condemnation of the United States that, regrettably, Japan has sometimes halted its exports of humanitarian provisions to Iraq based on Security Council Resolution 661. Japan thinks that the Iraqi side misunderstands the issue. Japan has coped with the issue fairly, based on the relevant provisions of the UN resolutions, and has therefore admitted many export cases to Iraq. Japan has never examined the export application arbitrarily. Therefore, there is no foundation within this issue on which Iraq can condemn Japan. ChargJ d'Affairs Ali replied as follows: first, that he would report Japan's concerns to the capital of Iraq, and second, that the people of Iraq have suffered much pain since the end of the Gulf War and have been frustrated under the pressure of the United Nations sanctions with no clue of how to get out of this painful situation. The United States is responsible for this situation. Having heard this, Director-General Noboru replied that the Iraqi recognition is incorrect, because the resolutions were adopted by consensus. If Iraq wants to resolve the problem, all it should do is respect the UN resolutions.
Japan-Russian Federation relations
Q: Minister of Foreign Affairs Keizo Obuchi met with his Russian counterpart Evgenii Primakov, and the two ministers agreed to set up a new forum, which is aimed at the conclusion of the peace treaty between the two states. With regard to this new forum, the Russian side proposed including representatives of the regional authorities in this mechanism from the Russian side. Could you elaborate on the possible Japanese position on this specific proposal?

Spokesman Hashimoto: To answer your question directly, at this moment, both the Japanese and Russian sides have yet to agree on the modality of the new institution. Once the two governments have agreed to hold the Deputy Ministers' Meeting next January, we will work out the modality before the actual meeting takes place in Moscow. Having said so, I would like to draw your attention to the following: since the successful meeting in Krasnoyarsk at the top level, both Japan and the Russian Federation have shown their strong will to strengthen their bilateral relationship in many fields. While we endeavor to develop the scope of cooperation and deepen relations, we would like to tackle the issue related to the signing of the peace treaty between the two countries. Both countries have got to tackle many issues. But if we talk about the issue of the peace treaty between the two countries, we have to begin the negotiations on the treaty itself. Time is rather limited. We have to do our utmost to sign the treaty by the year 2000. Therefore, we would like to concentrate on the wording, etc., as far as signing the peace treaty is concerned. However, as I have told you, before the Deputy Minister-level Meeting takes place in January, we have to work out and agree on the actual modality of the meeting itself.

Q: Could you elaborate in more concrete terms with regard to the inclusion of the representatives of the local authorities of Russia in the Russian side of this future institution? For instance, do you mind if the representative of the Sakhalin region is included in this forum?

Spokesman Hashimoto: When I say that we have got to work out the modality of the new forum, it means that before the actual meeting takes place in Moscow next January, we have got to agree on who will actually be included in the new forum. However, once again, in a general sense, I would like to express that while both countries have got to tackle various issues simultaneously, if we really talk about the issue of the peace treaty, within a limited time, we have to concentrate on negotiating the treaty itself, and experts should be involved in this. Therefore, how to have successful negotiations on this issue is crucial to the two countries. We are happy to continue to talk -- we still have some time until the first meeting takes place. We would like to fully prepare ourselves for Moscow in January. We would like to start, in a real sense, the negotiations on the treaty with full substance. It is a bit too premature for us to tell you whether the gentlemen you mentioned should be involved in the new mechanism.

Q: Working with the peace treaty, is the territorial issue going to be handled at the same time?

Spokesman Hashimoto: Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation agreed fully that the two countries would do their utmost to sign the peace treaty on the basis of the 1993 Tokyo Declaration by 2000. Minister of Foreign Affairs Evgenii Maksimovich Primakov of the Russian Federation this time straightforwardly answered a question, similar to the one you have asked, at the press conference, saying that Russia has no intentions to alter the interpretations of the 1993 Tokyo Declaration. If you read the 1993 Tokyo Declaration, it is all clear that the territorial issues have to be tackled in the peace treaty negotiations.

Q: What is the understanding of the situation from the Foreign Minister of Japan, when the Japanese and Russian officials meet in Moscow at the Roundtable? What are they supposed to discuss first, the text of the future peace treaty or the text of the agreement concerning the return of the Northern Territories?

Spokesman Hashimoto: The peace treaty in fact can be signed by solving the territorial issues. We signed the important document restoring our diplomatic relations in 1956. At that time, we wanted to sign the peace treaty. The reason why we could not sign the peace treaty was that we could not solve the territorial issues. So unless we solve the territorial issues, we cannot sign the peace treaty. But how to conduct the upcoming negotiations in Moscow in January is a different story. First of all, we have to agree on the modality and how to conduct the negotiations -- the substance of the peace treaty will be left to the negotiators themselves. But I would like to draw your attention to the fact that now both countries have decided to widen and deepen our relationship. So under a new atmosphere, by strengthening our friendly relations, we would like to solve this difficult outstanding issue related to the signing of the peace treaty. We understand that there are some people who are not supporting the idea of signing the peace treaty on the basis of the solution to the Northern Territories issue. But both Japan and the Russian Federation have to tell their own people that now we are in the new era. We are now entering the 21st century. We have many areas for cooperation in this part of the world. Focusing on that, we should try to face the important issue, tackle the issue and solve it, rather than leave this issue unsolved for our next generation. So the two governments have big responsibilities. We have got to agree at the governmental level on a new peace treaty, but at the same time, we have to persuade our own people that signing the new treaty is very important and very favorable for the two countries. If we can persuade the people concerned, I think we can be optimistic about the future.

Q: The constitution of the Russian Federation says that no territorial issues can be solved without the primary participation of the local people. Is Japan considering some steps to persuade people living on the Kuril Islands in the Sakhalin region in the far eastern region of Russia that the two nations now have to solve this territorial problem?

Spokesman Hashimoto: Probably it is bit too early for me to tell you what the Government of Japan can do in this field on concrete terms. However, we now fully understand that in order to solve this long-standing, very difficult issue, we have to have the two nations -- the two peoples -- understand more of each other. They should be fully convinced that trust is more important than distrust -- to establish and develop good relations is more important than to always be skeptical about each other, and so on. It is a difficult task. We cannot deny that we have had difficult times in the past. Therefore, while we should concentrate on this particular issue -- the negotiations of the new treaty -- at the same time, both governments should reach out to the people and tell them that we are now entering a new era. This is an enormous task. I am sure that the Government of Japan is going to do its best to address the people on this issue. However, things are going very fast. Therefore, I cannot tell you now, on concrete terms, what the Government can do, and so on. But in any case, we need cooperation from the private sector in order to let the people contact and develop much faster and closer in the very near future.
North Korean issues
Q: Do you have any comments on the Japanese wives who just left for North Korea today? How optimistic are you for similar visits to follow?

Spokesman Hashimoto: We understand that the 15 women have had a good time in Japan, and we would like to see that all the Japanese wives who would like to come back to Japan temporarily to meet their relatives can in fact realize their longstanding wishes. It means that we would like to continue this program. We still do not know when the Red Cross from Japan and North Korea can meet next to continue this operation and to continue the project. We hope that it will take place soon. At the same time, the ruling party mission just held a press conference in Pyongyang. After the meeting between the two political parties in Japan and North Korea, North Korea in principle welcomes the continuation of this program. So, we hope that will be the case and we will continue to have this program in the future.

Q: The North Korean party also expressed that there is no such thing as abduction of Japanese nationals, which the Japanese government claims. Does the Japanese Government's position remain unchanged?

Spokesman Hashimoto: As far as we understand from the press conference held by the ruling party mission in Pyongyang this morning, North Korea has changed its position on this issue. North Korea said that although this issue is not related to North Korea, the North Korean side will conduct these investigations as missing cases in general. We do not know what they have in mind when they say that they will conduct investigations as missing cases. We have to wait until the ruling party mission comes back to Tokyo and briefs us on what they talked about. But it seems that, at the last moment, the North Korea side has changed its attitude toward this issue.

Q: Is the Japanese Government ready to offer its promise to the North Koreans -- food aid? I remember you said that if they permit the Japanese ladies to come to Japan, then you can continue food aid to the North Koreans.

Spokesman Hashimoto: No, I do not think so. We in fact did not specifically link the issue of extending humanitarian food aid to North Korea with the return of Japanese wives. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that several weeks ago, on 9 October 1997, we decided to extend emergency aid for humanitarian purposes to North Korea through the World Food Plan (WFP). But if you are asking about new aid to North Korea, we have not yet been approached by United Nations organizations about whether the North Korean side will continue to need more aid. As far as that is concerned, we have to wait and see how the United Nations will address the issue.
Northern Territories issue
Q: Is it pure coincidence that the same day that Foreign Minister Primakov landed in Japan, Deputy State Secretary Strobe Talbott of the United States came to Tokyo and that they met and discussed some matters? Can we understand that this coincidence means that the United States in some form is taking part in the efforts of Russia and Japan to improve their relations and to sign this treaty?

Spokesman Hashimoto: We know that the United States has been supporting Japan on the solution to the Northern Territories issues. But as far as State Secretary Talbott's visit to Japan is concerned, it was done separately. It was just a coincidence that the two gentlemen happened to be in Tokyo. But it was good that they met. Basically, Japan and the Russian Federation should solve the territorial issue bilaterally. However, it is good that our mutual friend, the United States, has been supporting the solution to the territorial issue, because it is strange that we have not yet signed a peace treaty after the end of World War II. We should fully normalize our relationship, so that in the 21st century we can really widen the scope of cooperation between the two countries. I think the United States and many other countries can benefit from this. We hope that not only the United States, but also other countries, will show sympathy regarding this issue so that both Japan and the Russian Federation can be encouraged to accelerate the process of a successful conclusion of the peace treaty negotiations which will begin from January next year.
COP3 and greenhouse gas emissions
Q: I would like to ask about the status of the proposal of the government counsel regarding greenhouse gases, if this proposal is going to affect the position of Japan in the Kyoto conference? Also if there is something new?

Spokesman Hashimoto: If I remember correctly, the purpose of the counsel report is, first of all, to actually state the present level of emissions in Japan and the future projection, and to what extent the emissions will grow, etc. This is an objective study of the status of the situation of emissions in Japan. But at the same time, the Government of Japan has got to do its utmost to come to a consensus at the Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. There is a big difference of opinion, especially between the European Union and the United States. We have to continue to ask the European Union and the United States to show their flexibility. We still cannot tell how we will wind up the negotiations at the upcoming Kyoto conference. I understand that some Japanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are saying that the Japanese proposal is not satisfactory. But at the same time, there are some other people, especially in the industrial sector, who are saying that the Japanese Government proposal is already at the maximum level and that we should not do anything new. We think that our proposal is realistic, but we -- participants of the Kyoto Conference -- cannot come to a consensus on the basis of the Japanese proposal. Therefore, while we are doing our best to separately exchange views with the important partners, it is a bit too premature for us to talk about what level of emissions we can agree on at the upcoming Kyoto Conference.
Japan-Russian Federation issues
Q: Since the meeting at Krasnoyarsk, the Foreign Ministers of the two nations and the high-level officials of the two nations speak actively about the efforts of signing of the peace treaty before the year 2000, but all of them steadily and continuously refrain from mentioning territorial issues. So it is a sort of misunderstanding, at least in Russia, what the two governments are supposed to do. Can we understand that the governments of the two countries are trying to find a new solution to the territorial issue and on this basis to sign the peace treaty? Is it absolutely --

Spokesman Hashimoto: We have a very good basis, that is the 1993 Tokyo Declaration. I am sure that the Embassy of Japan in Moscow will continue to contact the various people, especially the politicians in Russia, and once again explain the nature or the meaning of the Tokyo Declaration. That is the basis of the upcoming negotiations. If we have different interpretations or understandings of the nature of the Tokyo Declaration, we cannot foresee a successful conclusion of the negotiations. Therefore, before the actual negotiations start, we will have to step up our efforts to enlighten the people concerned with the nature of the Tokyo Declaration. While Japan does its best in this field, at the same time, we hope that the Russian side, including your media, will also try to read the 1993 Tokyo Declaration carefully and try to give the right message to the Russian people. Of course, we will do the same for the Japanese people.

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