Press Conference by the Press Secretary 25 September, 1998

1. Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura on the new Japan-Republic of Korea fisheries agreement
2. Visit to Japan of His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 21 to 23 October
3. Speech by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to the General Assembly of the United Nations and meetings with President William Clinton of the United States and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom
4. Details of the Japan-Republic of Korea fisheries agreement
5. Reported visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura to the Russian Federation
6. Statement by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee concerning the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
7. Expectations of talks with His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
8. Schedule of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura on the new Japan-Republic of Korea fisheries agreement

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: Good afternoon. Today, I would like to first read out the statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura concerning the Japan- Republic of Korea (ROK) fisheries agreement:

   1. I warmly welcome the basic agreement reached between Japan and the Republic of Korea on a new fisheries agreement between the two countries.

   2. As parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Japan and the ROK have been negotiating to establish a new fisheries order, based on the purport of the Convention. These negotiations have led to the basic agreement which lays the foundations for the coexistence of the fisheries of the two countries for years to come.

   3. The fact that a basic agreement was reached on fisheries, a major issue between the two countries, on the eve of President Kim Dae Jung's visit to Japan, indicates the ability of both countries to cooperate in order to resolve difficult issues. The basic agreement is a significant milestone in the process of building a bilateral partnership towards the 21st century.

2. Visit to Japan of His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 21 to 23 October

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: My second announcement concerns the visit of His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His Royal Highness, accompanied by a suite, will pay an official visit to Japan from 21 to 23 October. During his stay in Japan, His Royal Highness will be received in audience by His Majesty The Emperor of Japan. His Majesty will also host a Court Luncheon in Honor of His Royal Highness. Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi of Japan will host a Dinner in honor of His Royal Highness. The Government of Japan sincerely welcomes the visit of His Royal Highness, which will further strengthen the friendly relations existing between Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

3. Speech by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to the General Assembly of the United Nations and meetings with President William Clinton of the United States and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: I would like to explain the recent visit of Prime Minister Obuchi to New York. Prime Minister Obuchi returned the day before yesterday from his three-day visit to New York. During his stay in New York, Prime Minister delivered a statement at the General Assembly of the United Nations and held meetings with President William Clinton of the United States, Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom as well as the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Foreign Minister Didier Opertti of Uruguay and Secretary General Kofi Annan of the United Nations.

   In his statement at the General Assembly on 21 September, Prime Minister Obuchi underlined the importance to "simultaneously promote three issues; peace and development, which are two sides of the same coin, plus United Nations reforms, which are indispensable in our efforts to achieve the first two." In particular, Prime Minister Obuchi underlined the importance of strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime and to further advance nuclear disarmament. Prime Minister Obuchi also expressed the resolution of Japan to play a more active role in tackling such issues as economic and social development, problems that directly threaten people's daily lives across national borders and the reform of the United Nations.

   In the meeting with President Clinton on 22 September, both leaders reconfirmed the importance of Japan-US relations and had a wide ranging and candid discussion on the current economic situation and the policies in the United States and Japan as well as developments and prospects for the world economy and global financial markets. They considered the missile launch of North Korea as disturbing to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia, confirmed taking a resolute stance to North Korea and reconfirmed the commitments under the Japan-US Security Arrangements. They further had useful discussions on the international situation as well as bilateral cooperation on such issues as the Year 2000 computer conversion (YSK) and confirmed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation. President Clinton invited Prime Minister Obuchi to the United States in the first half of 1999 and Prime Minister Obuchi accepted the invitation. The tete-a-tete meeting of the leaders which had been planned to continue fifteen minutes, lasted one hour and they had in total three hours of meetings. We think it is extremely important that Prime Minister Obuchi and President Clinton could, through such an intimate meeting, build a personal relationship ofmutual trust.

   On 21 September, Prime Minister Obuchi met with Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom. They confirmed their commitment to develop bilateral relations in light of already good relations as symbolized by the successful visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan last spring.

   As a whole the visit of Prime Minister Obuchi to New York was rather brief, however very intensive and significant.

4. Details of the Japan-Republic of Korea fisheries agreement

   Q: Are there any further details on the fisheries pact such as how will it be enforced?

   Mr. Okada: We came to a basic agreement. That means we now have to draft the real agreement itself and we are now working on that. However, I can tell you some details. First of all, we agreed to introduce provisional zones where both Japanese and Republic of Korean fishing vessels can operate under the flag ship principle. That means that the Republic of Korean vessels shall be under Republic of Korean sovereignty and control and Japanese vessels under Japanese sovereignty and control. We also agreed to the lines to be drawn to mark this provisional zone, and as you know there have been tremendously difficult discussions on the zoning of these area, but we agreed on the zoning. In the future, through consultation in the Japan-Korean Fishery Joint Committee, we are going to control appropriately the fishing operations in the area, including the maximum number of operating vessels. As for the fishing catch, we agreed to a few points. First as for the pollock to be caught in the exclusive zone, not in the provisional zones but in the exclusive zone, it shall be fifteen thousand tons in the first year, and from the second year onwards it will be zero. As for the snow crab, in the first and second years it will be half of the present catch and from the third year onward it will be zero. As for other kinds of fish, the fishing catch quotas to be allocated to the Republic of Korea side and the Japan side shall be equal from the third year onwards. The impingement of the regulations shall be administered by the countries concerned according to their own domestic laws. This is the basic agreement we reached yesterday and we are now going to draft the real agreement on the basis of this basic agreement.

   Q: Do you expect there to be many changes between this basic agreement and the formal one?

   Mr. Okada: We may have to further discuss the details, but this is the main framework. There should not be any change.

5. Reported visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura to the Russian Federation

   Q: In New York, Foreign Minister Koumura and Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov agreed to have talks in Moscow in October. Can you tell us the agenda or schedule of these talks?

   Mr. Okada: We are now making efforts to realize this visit of Foreign Minister Koumura in October, but one problem is how to coordinate with the schedule of the Japanese Diet. Therefore we still cannot tell you the exact date, but we hope that if possible, the visit will take place in the week starting 12 October. However we cannot narrow down the time for the time being because we must first coordinate and consult with the Diet.

   Q: Will there be any changes in the agenda because of some changes in the situation in Russia?

   Mr. Okada: Not so substantially, I think. Anyhow, we are going to discuss our bilateral relations, our support to the Russian Federation and our preparatory work for normalization of our relations and so on. These main agenda items do not change.

6. Statement by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee concerning the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

   Q: What is your comment to Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee's speech at the United Nations concerning CTBT issues?

   Mr. Okada: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India made a statement yesterday and we understand that he said, concerning the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), that India is now having discussions with sort of dialogue partners and they are prepared to bring these discussions to a successful conclusion so that the entering into force of the CTBT will not be delayed beyond September 1999. We first want to be certain what this statement exactly means and we are not sure whether this is a commitment to sign the CTBT without any reservation or not. Japan strongly hopes that India takes necessary steps so that the CTBT can enter into force in September 1999. However, for the time being, we would like to know, as I explained to you, what this statement exactly means.

7. Expectations of talks with His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

   Q: What do you expect to come out of the talks with the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince? Certainly, there is a deadline on drilling rights and the expiration is in the year 2000. Do you expect that sort of thing to be a part of the discussions?

   Mr. Okada: We are now talking with the Saudi Arabian side on what should be the agenda items but as for this drilling site issue, that is now being handled between a Japanese company and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We think that it is itself of a private nature, that is, a commercial issue. Therefore first it should be handled between company and government and for the time being we do not see that as on the agenda.

8. Schedule of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

   Q: The Australian Deputy Prime Minister has just raised questions about whether or not the APEC meeting should be held in Kuala Lumpur in face of everything that is going on in Malaysia right now. Is Japan at all concerned about this issue?

   Mr. Okada: We have received an official invitation from Malaysia to this Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit meeting and we understand that meeting will take place on schedule.

   Q: So the Government of Japan is not concerned about the situation?

   Mr. Okada: No. Not concerned.