Press Conference 6 September 2002

1. Statement on the attempted assassination of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan
2. Clean Water for People: A United States-Japan Partnership to Provide Safe Water and Sanitation to the World's Poor
3. Questions concerning missing Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by North Koreans
4. Question regarding unidentified vessels
5. Questions on arrangements for the Japan-North Korea summit talks
6. Further questions concerning Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to North Korea
7. Questions in relation to the upcoming OPEC meetings in Osaka

1. Statement on the attempted assassination of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan

   Assistant Press Secretary Jiro Okuyama: Good afternoon, gentlemen. We understand that there was an attempt on the life of President Hamid Karzai in the town of Kandahar in the south of Afghanistan. We have been greatly concerned with the security situation and the political stability of Afghanistan, and we extremely regret that such an incident has happened. Japan will continue to support President Karzai and actively support Afghanistan for its peace and security in solidarity with the international community.

   Related Information (Japan-Afghanistan Relations)
   
2. Clean Water for People: A United States-Japan Partnership to Provide Safe Water and Sanitation to the World's Poor

   Mr. Okuyama: Secondly, I would like to draw your attention to the initiative that was signed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi and US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Johannesburg, 4 September. This is the initiative titled "Clean Water for People: A United States-Japan Partnership to Provide Safe Water and Sanitation to the World's Poor".

   Related Information (Clean Water for People A United States-Japan Partnership to Provide Safe Water and Sanitation to the World's Poor)
   
3. Questions concerning missing Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by North Koreans

   Q: I have several questions about the 11 Japanese who have allegedly been kidnapped and taken to North Korea. Does the Government have hard evidence that these 11 were in fact kidnapped by North Koreans?

   Mr. Okuyama: We regard this matter as one of the pending issues between Japan and North Korea, which we hope will be dealt with in a sincere manner in the future talks between the two countries.

   Q: Do you have any hard evidence in fact that there are 11 Japanese being held against their will in North Korea?

   Mr. Okuyama: We understand that a number of Japanese nationals have disappeared. Because of the privacy issues involved, and also out of humanitarian considerations, we cannot comment on the detials of the alleged kidnapping cases. We would like to refrain from making any further comments on this matter.

   Q: You are not disputing the claims of several organizations, private organizations, that say there are 11?

   Mr. Okuyama: We are not in the position to comment or confirm the details of the matter.

   Q: I do not want to sound heard-hearted about this, but Japan-North Korea relations is an extremely important issue, and I just wonder if 11 Japanese, who you have not given, or will not give, any hard evidence about, will really stand in the way between the normalization of relations between two very important countries?

   Mr. Okuyama: Perhaps to respond to that question I may start with the purpose of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang, during which this issue, we expect, will be raised in part.

   The purpose of the Prime Minister's visit is to find out whether normalization talks can be resumed at an early timing under the formula whereby the solution of the issues relating to the normalization of relations and the solution of the pending issues between Japan and North Korea should be facilitated in a comprehensive manner.

   At the summit talks we expect to engage in frank discussions on the issues that I have just mentioned, and we will encourage the North Korean side to make a political decision to move toward the solution of these issues.

   The point that I would like to emphasize is that it is not only the normalization of the relations between the two countries nor is it the pending issues between Japan and North Korea that are to be discussed. We would like to discuss all these issues in a comprehensive manner.

   Q: There have been suggestions that finding a solution to the missing 11 Japanese is paramount to moving ahead with the normalization. Is that a correct interpretation?

   Mr. Okuyama: I understand that the Prime Minister mentioned this matter as one of the very important issues to be discussed by the two countries.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
4. Question regarding unidentified vessels

   Q: Can I also ask whether the so-called mystery ships, the new one and the old one, are going to have anything to do with the summit meeting?

   Mr. Okuyama: The unidentified ships are something that may come up in the summit talks between the two leaders. That is to say, the vessels which appeared in the past including the new one and the old one. I think that if this issue is taken up, I expect Prime Minister Koizumi to speak on this in the overall context of security and mutual trust.

   As for the most recent incident, we do not regard this as having an effect on the summit talks. We have no factual confirmation that the vessel involved in this most recent incident has violated Japan's interests or legal interests.

5. Question on arrangements for the Japan-North Korea summit talks

   Q: What can you tell us about the arrangements for the summit so far? You have a team there, is that right?

   Mr. Okuyama: Yes, we have a liaison room over there, and we have a number of people working there. We understand that they are in daily contact with the North Korean side to thrash out the logistical arrangements.

   Q: Do you have any idea of the schedule, the number of meetings?

   Mr. Okuyama: We expect that the Prime Minister will make a one-day trip, that is, he will arrive there early in the morning and return late at night. That is about all we know at this moment.

   Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what types of press or media arrangements will be available?

   Mr. Okuyama: The primary responsibility on this lies with the Prime Minister's Office and the journalists' club attached to the Prime Minister's Office. We are in close touch with them, and we have communicated to the office that there are requests from non-Japanese journalists, media, to accompany the Prime Minister.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
6. Further questions concerning Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to North Korea

   Q: It is obvious that Mr. Koizumi has achieved a breakthrough in the diplomatic and security environment in Asia, and it comes at an especially critical time when the US President is labeling North Korea as part of an "axis of evil". Should we interpret Mr. Koizumi as leading the way to take North Korea out of this type of description and help that country to come back to the international community by way of this Japanese initiative?

   Mr. Okuyama: First of all, we do not have specific evidence to evaluate the remarks that President Bush made on the character of the three countries in one group, and I think what is happening in Iraq is quite separate from the situation in the Korean Peninsula. We hope that Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to North Korea will be a step forward toward more peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

   Q: North Korea has good relations with several countries, particularly Middle Eastern countries. Did these countries express encouragement or appreciation for the planned visit?

   Mr. Okuyama: As far as I know there has not been any indication from these countries.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
7. Questions in relation to the upcoming OPEC meetings in Osaka

   Q: I have read that Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will meet the Iraqi Oil Minister during his upcoming visit to attend the OPEC meeting in Osaka. Do you have any information on this?

   Mr. Okuyama: I will have to check on this and come back to you.

   Q: But is it possible that the Japanese Foreign Minister would meet an Iraqi Foreign Minister in this situation when the United States is about to attack Iraq?

   Mr. Okuyama: Well, it is a multilateral meeting, and they are all there as OPEC members, but if there is any plan or request from either of the two sides to see each other, I have to check.

   Q: Is Foreign Minister Kawaguchi going to give any speech at the meeting? I read a report that Mr. Koizumi might send a message.

   Mr. Okuyama: I will check on that for you.