Press Conference 31 March 2003

1. Meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-kwan of the Republic of Korea
2. Yen loan to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
3. Dispatch of Government aircraft to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
4. Questions concerning Japan's humanitarian assistance

1. Meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-kwan of the Republic of Korea

   Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you very much for coming to this special briefing. Today I have three announcements I would like to make.

   The first announcement is about the meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-kwan of the Republic of Korea who arrived in Tokyo yesterday.

   During the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoon reaffirmed their willingness to further strengthen the friendly and cooperative bilateral relations between the two countries. They both agreed that the relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea were further promoted last year through various events including the very successful 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.

   They also agreed to maintain close consultation and cooperation among Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America to deal with the North Korean nuclear problem. On this, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his willingness to make further efforts to achieve normalization of the relations between Japan and North Korea through resolving issues such as the abduction cases and security problems. Furthermore, he called for an early visit to Japan by President Roh Moo-Hyun of the Republic of Korea.

   Prior to this meeting, last evening, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi met with Foreign Minister Yoon. They discussed a wide range of issues including North Korea, free trade agreement and youth exchange between the two countries.

   Related Information (Japan-Republic of Korea Relations)
   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
2. Yen loan to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

   Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is about the yen loan to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

   The Government of Japan today decided to extend a yen loan of 79.33 billion yen (approximately US$ 660 million) to the Government of Viet Nam. This loan is intended to be used for the economic and social development of Viet Nam through such projects as construction of a highway in Ho Chi Minh City, construction of a power plant in southern Viet Nam and setting up of an underwater fiber optic cable system to connect North and South Viet Nam.

   Related Information (Japan-Viet Nam Relations)
   
3. Dispatch of Government aircraft to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

   Mr. Takashima: The third announcement is about the dispatch of Government aircraft to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

   Two Boeing 747-700 aircraft of the Government of Japan departed from Narita airport at 22:00 last night to deliver 160 tents to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Amman, Jordan. The two aircraft are still on their way to Jordan and are scheduled to arrive at Amman airport at 17:00 (Japan time).

   Related Information (Provision of Supplies for Iraqi Refugees and Transport by Government Aircraft)
   Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
   
4. Questions concerning Japan's humanitarian assistance

   Q: There have been press reports indicating that there are very few refugees coming out of Iraq. It seems that there may have been a miscalculation in the emergence of a refugee problem in the region. In that respect, why did the Government of Japan decide to transport these tents to Jordan?

   Mr. Takashima: The Government of Japan decided to send these 160 tents upon receiving a request from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan. They are intended for use by the UNHCR to set up refugee camps in preparation of a sudden outbreak of refugees, which according to the estimates by the UNHCR may be about 600,000 refugees in total. The Office of the UNHCR is planning and also is now in the process of setting up refugee camps in the border areas to Iraq in the Syrian Arab Republic, Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey.

   Q: Apart from this request by the UNHCR, have there been any other requests by the United Nations?

   Mr. Takashima: The United Nations issued a flash appeal last week requesting international assistance totaling US$ 2.2 billion from 16 UN agencies. This appeal is based upon the estimated number of refugees at 600,000. In response to this important call from the United Nations, the Government of Japan has commenced a careful study of the actions to take.

   Q: So does it mean that the Government of Japan provides assistance only when requested through the United Nations?

   Mr. Takashima: We have already provided various forms of assistance, not only to UN agencies but also to other entities, such as non-governmental organizations (NGO) as well as the Governments of Jordan and the Palestinian autonomous areas.

   Moreover, we are considering granting further assistance through various means both humanitarian and others, such as minesweeping by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. We have also commenced preliminary study of assistance to postwar Iraq.

   Q: Does the Japanese Government consider sending aid, such as food or medical assistance, to the people living inside of Iraq?

   Mr. Takashima: These forms of assistance will primarily be provided through the Office of the UNHCR, and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. If requested, the Government of Japan will give careful consideration to such assistance and thoroughly study how to respond.

   Q: Is such assistance limited to southern Iraq?

   Mr. Takashima: Not necessarily. In fact, there are Japanese NGOs operating in northern Iraq for rescue operations there.

   Q: What is the Japanese Government's forecast for the refugee situation?

   Mr. Takashima: We are aware that so far, there have been very few refugees coming out from Iraq. However, the UNHCR and other NGOs are predicting that once the military activity becomes more severe and the food situation worsens, there is a very high possibility of a sudden outbreak of refugees. It is the belief of the Government of Japan that the refugee problem is a very serious issue and that due consideration should be given to it by the international community and preparations should be made.

   Q: What sort of assistance is the Japanese Government considering with regard to additional assistance, including for postwar Iraq?

   Mr. Takashima: The Government of Japan has put together an ad hoc task force to conduct a study of what Japan would be able to do in terms of assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of postwar Iraq. This study is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

   Furthermore, we will be consulting with other countries concerned on the situation of postwar Iraq. However, since military action is still ongoing and it is very difficult to make a viable prediction for the future of Iraq, we believe that it is premature to come up with a detailed plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

   Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
   Related Information (Refugees)
   Related Information (Japan's Humanitarian Assistance, Assistance to Neighboring Countries and Reconstruction Assistance)