Press Conference 9 July 2004

1. Grant aid to the Republic of Kiribati
2. Emergency aid to Nicaragua for torrential rain disaster
3. Grant aid to Afghanistan for the project for construction of schools in Afghanistan
4. Japan-US Subcabinet Economic Dialogue
5. Questions concerning Mr. Charles Jenkins
6. Question concerning North Korea regarding reunion of Ms. Hitomi Soga's family
7. Question concerning possible meeting between Japanese and US officials
8. Follow-up question concerning Mr. Charles Jenkins

1. Grant aid to the Republic of Kiribati

   Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you for coming to the briefing. Today, I would like to make four announcements before I take questions.

   First, the Government of Japan today decided to provide grant assistance of up to 796 million yen or US$7.3 million to the Government of the Republic of Kiribati to be used for the project for upgrading of electric power supply in Tarawa Atoll.

   This project is to purchase one diesel electric power generator capable of generating 1,400 kilowatts of electricity and to upgrade the power distribution system for high voltage electricity.

   We hope that with this project, the electric supply in the island country of Kiribati will be stabilized and become more effective.

   Related Information (Japan-Kiribati Relations)
   
2. Emergency aid to Nicaragua for torrential rain disaster

   Mr. Takashima: On 8 July, the Government of Japan decided to provide emergency assistance in kind (blankets, tents, electric generators, etc.), equivalent to approximately 11.5 million yen or approximately US$100,000 to the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua, which has sustained damage from a torrential rainstorm that started on 24 June.

   As of 6 July, the subsequent landslides and swelling and flooding of rivers left 25 people dead and approximately 18,000 afflicted in this Latin American country.

   Related Information (Emergency Aid to Nicaragua for Torrential Rain Disaster)
   
3. Grant aid to Afghanistan for the project for construction of schools in Afghanistan

   Mr. Takashima: The third announcement is about the grant assistance to Afghanistan for the project for construction of schools in Afghanistan.

   The Government of Japan has decided to provide grant aid to a maximum of 677 million yen or approximately US$6.2 million to the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan for the purpose of contributing to the implementation of the project for construction of schools in Afghanistan.

   This grant aid is to be implemented as part of the humanitarian and reconstruction assistance which the Government of Japan announced at the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan in Berlin in March of this year.

   The money will be used to construct 32 schools in Afghanistan.

   Related Information (Japan-Afghanistan Relations)
   
4. Japan-US Subcabinet Economic Dialogue

   Mr. Takashima: The fourth and the last announcement is about the Japan-US Subcabinet Economic Dialogue.

   A Japan-US Subcabinet Economic Dialogue will take place on 16 July in Washington, DC, the capital of the United States of America.

   The Dialogue will be attended, on the Japanese side, by Mr. Ichiro Fujisaki, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, who heads the delegation which includes vice-ministerial-level officials of various government agencies and ministries of Japan. From the American side, the delegation will be headed by Mr. Faryar Shirzad, Deputy Assistant to the President for International Affairs and Deputy National Security Advisor. The delegation will include Under Secretary-level officials of the various departments of the US Government.

   The Dialogue, informal and flexible in style, will discuss bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues.

   Related Information (Japan-U.S. Subcabinet Economic Dialogue)
   
5. Questions concerning Mr. Charles Jenkins

   Q: When Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was in Pyongyang, North Korea in May, he met Mr. Charles Jenkins and his children and tried to persuade them to come to Japan with the other abductees' children. He said that they will be safe here and that they were welcome to come and live here. I believe that he has encouraged Ms. Hitomi Soga to do the same, to take her time to persuade her husband and two daughters to come and live with her in Japan. Is it not a little puzzling that he is encouraging Mr. Jenkins to come to Japan despite repeated promises by the US administration that Mr. Jenkins is considered a deserter and will face extradition and possibly criminal charges if he comes to Japan with which the United States has an extradition agreement? What sort of lobbying is taking place at the moment in Washington, DC to try and get the United States to pardon Mr. Jenkins? If Prime Minister Koizumi is encouraging Mr. Jenkins to come to Japan, is that not considered slightly irresponsible given that Mr. Jenkins could end up in prison?

   Mr. Takashima: It is true that Mr. Jenkins is charged on various accounts by the US Government. There is a possibility that if he comes to Japan, he will be arrested and extradited to the United States. At the same time, this is a very special humanitarian case. We have been informing the US Government about the situation of Mr. Jenkins and Ms. Soga, and there is a certain discussion underway between the two governments.

   What will happen to him if and when he comes to Japan still remains to be seen. The only thing I can say is that it is the Japanese Government's wish that Mr. Jenkins and Ms. Soga and their two daughters will be reunited and live happily in a place they would like to live in, so in accordance with their wishes. What Prime Minister Koizumi said was that the Government will consider their wish as much as it can. He recommended Mr. Jenkins to come and live with his wife.

   Q: You said that there were ongoing discussions about Mr. Jenkins' future. At what level are these discussions taking place? I know National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice of the United States mentioned it. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage of the United States was approached by Asahi Television. Are those the people who are involved? Who is involved on the Japanese side?

   Mr. Takashima: This issue has been talked about by various officials of the Japanese Government with various American officials. The discussions are now underway at various levels and through various channels.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations Abduction Cases of Japanese Nationals)
   
6. Question concerning North Korea regarding reunion of Ms. Hitomi Soga's family

   Q: I believe many people in Japan and possibly those from the Government were surprised to see on TV a North Korean official at the airport who met with a Japanese official. There was live TV coverage. What do you think was behind North Korea's actions? Some people say that this shows that North Korea changed and is cooperating.

   Mr. Takashima: I cannot make any comments on behalf of the North Korean Government, but it was the decision of the North Korean Government and TV stations to cover the event - the arrival of the chartered flight from Tokyo as well as Mr. Jenkins and his two daughters at the airport and some talks between Japanese and North Korean officials. It was not by the request of the Japanese Government.

7. Question concerning possible meeting between Japanese and US officials

   Q: There is a newspaper report that senior working-level officials from Japan and the United States plan to hold a meeting, possibly next week, on the realignment of the US base in Japan. Could you talk about that?

   Mr. Takashima: The discussion between the US Government and the Japanese Government on the issue of the so-called transformation of the American force structure in and around Japan has been going on at various levels. We do not discuss the details of the content of the discussion. We do not have any confirmation or denial of such kind of working-level contact between the two governments.

   Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
   
8. Follow-up question concerning Mr. Charles Jenkins

   Q: Is there any word from the officials who are traveling with Mr. Jenkins and his daughters on whether he has taken his dog with him?

   Mr. Takashima: My understanding is that there is no dog on board the plane. The dog that they had disappeared before they departed.

   Q: They had a dog when Ms. Soga was living with them which died, and Mr. Jenkins got another dog. That second dog has mysteriously disappeared?

   Mr. Takashima: Mysteriously or by natural causes. The dog is not there anymore.

   Q: When was that do you know?

   Mr. Takashima: Not too long ago.

   Q: Within the last few days?

   Mr. Takashima: Much earlier than that, that is my understanding. There is no dog.