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Press Conference 21 April 2000

1. Visit to G8 countries by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori
2. Itinerary of the visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Sweden by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan
3. Japan's participation in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2000 Review Conference
4. Japan's position on the presidential elections in the Republic of Peru
5. Announcement on the holding of the Eurasia Economic Summit

1. Visit to G8 countries by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori

   Deputy Press Secretary Chikahito Harada: Good afternoon. I have five announcements to make. The first is on the visit to G8 countries by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

   Subject to the approval of the Diet, Prime Minister Mori will visit seven G8 countries. Prime Minister Mori would like to exchange views with the leaders of these countries to establish personal relationships of trust and cooperative relations before the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit. The schedule of the visit is as follows.

   Prime Minister Mori will leave Japan on 28 April. He will have a meeting with President-elect Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg on 29 April, a meeting with his Italian counterpart in Rome on the morning of 2 May, a meeting with President Jacques Chirac of the French Republic in Paris on the evening of 2 May, a meeting with Chancellor Gerhard Schroder of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin on the afternoon of 3 May, and a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Blair of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in London on the evening of 3 May. Then he will move to the American continent and have a meeting with Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada in Ottawa on the morning of 4 May. Finally, he will meet President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America in Washington on the morning of 5 May. It is a very tight schedule.

   Related Information (G7/G8)
   
2. Itinerary of the visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Sweden by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan

   Mr. Harada: It was decided at the Cabinet meeting of 3 March that Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress would visit the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Sweden. It was announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki at today's Cabinet meeting that Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress would leave Tokyo on 20 May and return on 1 June. The outline of the itinerary is as follows.

   On 20 May Their Majesties will leave Tokyo and arrive in Geneva, where they will stay on 21-22 May. On 23 May they will leave Geneva and arrive in Amsterdam. On 24 May they will stay in Amsterdam, on 25 May they will arrive in Apeldoorn. On 26 May they will leave Amsterdam and arrive in Helsinki, where they will stay on 27 May. On 28 May they will leave Helsinki and arrive in Stockholm. They will stay in Stockholm from 29-30 May. They will leave Stockholm on 31 May and arrive back in Tokyo on 1 June. You can get information on the major events of the visit from the itinerary attached to the press release, which I will give you later.

   Related Information (Japan-Netherlands Relations)
   Related Information (Japan-Sweden Relations)
   
3. Japan's participation in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2000 Review Conference

   Mr. Harada: State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ichita Yamamoto will visit New York from 24-29 April to attend the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2000 Review Conference, starting on 24 April. State Secretary Yamamoto will make a general statement on 24 April as the representative of the Government of Japan at the Plenary Session of the Review Conference. This is the first Review Conference since the NPT was indefinitely extended in 1994, and it is being held at a time when the international situation surrounding nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation is severe. The NPT Review Conference is considered a touchstone as to whether the NPT can preserve and enhance its credibility and universality. The Government of Japan will do its utmost -- including making concrete proposals about additional measures for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation-- to make the Conference end in success by issuing a positive message toward the future. I would like to share with you some of the proposals which Japan is to make. First, the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the moratorium of nuclear weapons test explosions or other nuclear explosions pending the entry into force. Second, the immediate commencement of negotiations on the so-called Cut-off Treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other explosive devices and its conclusion before 2003 but not later than 2005. Third, the immediate entry into force and full implementation of Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) II, the early commencement and completion of negotiations on START III, and the continuation of the process beyond START III. These are some of the proposals which we are going to make in New York.

   Related Information (Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation)
   
4. Japan's position on the presidential elections in the Republic of Peru

   Mr. Harada: My fourth announcement is on the presidential elections in the Republic of Peru. The Government of Japan attaches much importance to the establishment of democracy in Latin American countries, and from this point of view considers it important for the presidential elections in Peru to be conducted in a fair manner through the democratic process based on the will of the people. The Government of Japan strongly expects a transparent and fair second round of elections. Director-General Takahiko Horimura of the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau conveyed this position to the Peruvian Ambassador to Japan yesterday. We intend to continue to convey our concerns to the Peruvian side.

   Related Information (Japan-Peru Relations)
   
5. Announcement on the holding of the Eurasia Economic Summit

   Mr. Harada: The Eurasia Economic Summit will be held in Alamty, the Republic of Kazakhstan, from 26-28 April. This is a regional conference organized by the World Economic Forum, which is well known for its organization of the Davos Conference. There will be about 400 participants from around 15 countries and 10 international organizations. Participants will come from various fields, such as politicians, government officials, scholars, and businessmen. The theme of the conference is "How can the region assert itself in the new millennium?" In this context, the region is eight countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The representative of the Government of Japan Dr. Arima will attend this meeting and make a speech to present Japan's diplomacy vis-a-vis the Silk Road region. Just to add a footnote, Chairman Minoru Murofushi of Itochu Corporation will be one of the co-chairmen of this conference.

   Related Information (Japan-Asia Relations)
   Related Information (Japan-Europe Relations)