Press Conference 2 April 2002

1. Statement on Japan's initiatives for the solution of the conflict in the Middle East
2. Statement on the signing of a ceasefire memorandum between the Angolan National Armed Forces and the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) Forces
3. Questions on the dispatch of former Ambassador to the State of Israel Hiroshi Shigeta to the Middle East
4. Follow-up questions on the situation in the Middle East

1. Statement on Japan's initiatives for the solution of the conflict in the Middle East

   Press Secretary Norio Hattori: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to say something about our initiatives for the solution of the conflict in the Middle East.

   Today, Mr. Hiroshi Shigeta, former Ambassador to the State of Israel, left for the Middle East with personal letters from Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi addressed to Minister of Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres of Israel as well as to President Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority.

   Mr. Shigeta will stay about 10 days in that region, during which he will meet with the leaders of both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. The arrangements for each of the meetings have not yet been completed.

   In addition, Mr. Shigeta hopes to see US Special Envoy Anthony Zinni as well as the US Ambassador to Israel. In this regard, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi had personal talks yesterday with Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America, she met Mr. Abu Ala, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on 29 March, and she also talked to Foreign Minister Peres of Israel on 31 March.

   So, we would like to pursue our efforts in order to contribute to the peaceful solution of the problems in the region.

   Related Information (Japan-Middle East Relations)
   
2. Statement on the signing of a ceasefire memorandum between the Angolan National Armed Forces and the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) Forces

   Mr. Hattori: Also today, it has been already publicized in the form of my statement, the Government of Japan welcomes the positive developments happening in Angola for the peaceful solution of the problems in that country.

   Related Information (Japan-Angola Relations)
   
3. Questions on the dispatch of former Ambassador to the State of Israel Hiroshi Shigeta to the Middle East

   Q: Mr. Shigeta will stay only in the Palestinian Authorities and Israel?

   Mr. Hattori: Mr. Shigeta will travel to both Israel and the Palestinian Authorities; he is not supposed to go anywhere else.

   Q: There will be problems meeting with Arafat because he has been captured by the Israelis. It is very difficult to go to him?

   Mr. Hattori: We know that it is very difficult, given the situation that Mr. Arafat is actually in, but we will try to see him.

   Q: I hope Israel will give you the chance.

   Mr. Hattori: Nobody knows. But the very reason why we have sent Mr. Shigeta as a special envoy of Foreign Minister Kawaguchi is due to the difficult situation. We all know the difficult situation prevailing there.

   Q: I think this is a very good step by the Japanese Government. We journalists here appreciate this very much.

   Related Information (Japan-Middle East Relations)
   
4. Follow-up questions on the situation in the Middle East

   Q: In connection to both your statement and that of Foreign Minister Kawaguchi, please correct me if I am wrong, but I understood that you considered the Israeli invasion of Palestinian territory as a result of the attacks by the Palestinian suicide bombers. Is that the view, specifically?

   Mr. Hattori: What we are seeing in that region is a vicious circle of violence; we are demanding that the Israelis withdraw completely from the occupied territories, and, at the same time, that Mr. Arafat crack down on the suicide bombings. Q: How do you expect him to do that even though he has been captured?

   Mr. Hattori: Mr. Arafat was supposed to do that even before he was in this kind of situation.

   Q: Do you have any proof that he was supporting the suicide bombings?

   Mr. Hattori: We are not saying that Mr. Arafat is supporting them, but it is true that he is supposed to crack down on the suicide bombings. It has been requested and demanded of him by the international community. That is a fact.

   Q: I understand that he made many statements asking his people to stop any attacks and he announced a ceasefire.

   Mr. Hattori: Mr. Arafat is supposed to be the leader of the Palestinian Authority, so he is in the position to do so.

   Q: But the people that commit these bombing attacks say that they are carrying out those attacks because Israel is still occupying their territory. So, do you think Israel should withdraw from occupied territory?

   Mr. Hattori: I do not know if it is productive here, between you and me, to discuss or debate about the sequence of events happening there. As I said earlier, what we are seeing is a vicious circle of violence-we have to stop that, in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians.

   Q: Does Japan feel concerned that its interests might be endangered if the situation escalates?

   Mr. Hattori: Escalation of the situation is not in anybody's interest.

   Related Information (Japan-Middle East Relations)