Press Conference by the Press Secretary 4 February 1997

Oil spill incident involving a Russian-registered tanker
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hiroshi Hashimoto: Japan has already requested that the Russian Federation clarify the cause of the incident in which the Russian-registered tanker Nakhodka sank, and requested cooperation in measures to prevent marine pollution. On 30 January, the Russian Federation replied that it would like to hold comprehensive discussions among both Japanese and Russian experts on creating a cooperative structure for the future and on the cause of this incident. The Government of Japan welcomes this position taken by Russia, which is in line with the proposal put forward by Japan, and has accepted the Russian proposal. Therefore, a meeting will be held in Moscow around 5-7 February.

I understand that, at a press conference, Minister of Transport Nikolai Tsakh of the Russian Federation stated that the accident involving the Russian tanker Nakhodka was caused neither by the technical condition of the boat, nor by the bad weather, but that is was the result of external forces applied to the hull of the ship. Although what served as the basis for this conclusion is still unclear, Japan believes that only after making a final survey of the ship's bow will it be possible to conclusively state the cause of the accident. I understand that Transport Minister Tsakh has also made a statement to the effect that it would be only natural to make a final determination after conducting a survey. That is the announcement that I wanted to make, and I will be delighted to respond to any questions that you might have.
Nuclear waste shipments from Taiwan to North Korea
Q: In regard to the shipment of nuclear waste to North Korea, it has been reported that the shipment of waste will bring about undesirable results in the progress of this part of Asia. Can I have your thoughts on this?

A: According the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other relevant international agreements, transport of nuclear waste across the border is not prohibited. However, it is desirable according to those international agreements that the transport and disposition of the nuclear wastes should be carried out in accordance with the international safety standards. The Government of Japan is of the view that the issue between Taiwan and North Korea should not leav any anxiety over regional pollution and nuclear safety. With this in mind, we are carefully watching the situation. This is the position of the Government of Japan. Furthermore, the Government of Japan relayed this position to the Taiwanese authorities recently.

Q: Did China ask North Korea to stop these shipments from Taiwan to North Korea due undesirable consequences that may affect China itself?

A: We are not aware of what the People's Republic of China has said about this. However, you may recall that when Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto met President Kim Young Sam of the Republic of Korea in Beppu, Prime Minister Hashimoto clearly said that the transport and disposition of nuclear waste should not negatively affect environmental issues in the region or nuclear safety in the region. However, I am not aware of the position of the Government of China.
Oil spill clean-up efforts in Japan
Q: Can the oil from the oil spill be processed?

A: Are you talking about actual ongoing operations at sea?

Q: Yes.

A: There are still many places that are badly effected by the release of crude oil. For the time being, many volunteers have gone to help clean up the crude oil, and the operation is still going on. Unfortunately, because of bad weather in the area, the ships with a capacity to clear the sea are not necessarily engaging in the operations. For the time being, the Government of Japan wants to begin investigation into the cause of the incident. As I stated in my announcement, from 5-7 February, there will be a joint meeting between the governments of Japan and the Russian Federation in Moscow.

Q: I would like to know if this oil from the spill can be processed, or is it entirely wasted?

A: We will simply dispose the crude oil. We will not recycle the oil.
Nuclear waste shipments from Taiwan to North Korea
Q: Today, the Taiwanese press has reported that since North Korea does not have proper ships for the transfer of nuclear waste from Taiwan, it has asked a Japanese company to manufacture a ship. This ship would be constructed in August, and would be handed over to North Korea to transport waste. Do you have any information on this?

A: At present, I do not have any particular information on this. If you are interested in this, we can clarify it for you.
Kidnapping incident in Niigata
Q: Regarding the kidnapping incident in Niigata, yesterday Prime Minister Hashimoto said in the Diet that the Government of Japan is conducting surveillance on this incident, and is also collecting information on this. Could you elaborate on what the Japanese government is doing?

A: What I can tell you is what Prime Minister Hashimoto told the Diet yesterday. He said that the national police are conducting appropriate investigations and gathering information on this. We would like to refrain from making a comment on this.
Food aid to North Korea
Q: Does Japan have any plans to send food aid to North Korea?

A: Several times in the past, the Government of Japan has extended humanitarian aid to North Korea. However, we do not intend to do that now. We are carefully watching the economic situation of North Korea.
Oil spill investigation by a Japan-Russian Federation joint commission
Q: You have already said the Japanese side has already determined that the cause of catastrophe was some unknown object in the water. Therefore, what is the Japanese side going to do in the framework of this joint commission with Russia? As I understand it, the Russian side is going to stress that the cause of the catastrophe is unknown. Do you have any evidence to prove that there was something wrong with the Russian evaluation of the situation?

A: The statement by the Minister of Transport Tsakh was not very clear. He said that the Russian tanker Nakhodka was caused neither by the technical conditions of the boat nor by bad weather, but it was the result of external forces applied to the hull of the ship. At the same time, he also made a statement to the effect that it would be only natural to make a final determination after conducting a survey. Therefore, we look forward with great anticipation to fruitful meetings on 5-7 February in Moscow. We are not sure whether we can mutually determine the cause during the course of the meeting, but this is the first time for the experts of both sides to meet. If they can jointly tackle this difficult issue of finding the cause of the accident, we will be pleased. This is what the Japanese people want, rather than a premature conclusion on the cause of the situation. I am sure that Minister of Transport Tsakh agrees that the experts of our two nations should try to make a final determination after conducting a survey.
Japan-Russian Federation meeting of experts in Moscow
Q: Could you be more specific about who is going to leave for Moscow?

A: The representatives from Japan will include Director of the Safety and Standards Division of the Maritime Technology and Safety Bureau Hitoshi Yabe, as well as other officials from the Ministry of Transport, the Maritime Safety Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Japanese Embassy in Russia. They will hold discussions with their counterparts from the Russian Ministry of Transport.

Q: Are the Japanese representatives going to bring some fresh evidence to Moscow?

A: While I cannot directly answer your question, the purpose of the meeting is to let the experts meet and try to first of all find out the cause of the sinking of the Russian tanker Nakhodka. Secondly, they will talk about emergency measures. Thirdly, they will discuss prevention of a recurrence of this type of incident, as well as possible measures to take in the case of a similar incident in the future. Therefore, the agenda of the meeting is rather big. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is the first contact between the experts of the two countries. However, once the experts meet, we hope that this meeting will turn out to be a fruitful one. Thank you very much.

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