Press Conference 22 July 2005
- Decision of the People's Republic of China on yuan's exchange rate
- Japan-Ukraine relations
- Japan-Cambodia negotiations on Japan-ASEAN comprehensive economic partnership agreement
- Japan's grant assistance
- Guests and national/special days of the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan (23 - 29 July)
- Questions concerning Six-Party Talks
- Questions concerning abduction issue
- Decision of the People's Republic of China on yuan's exchange rate
Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you very much for coming to the briefing. Before taking questions, I would like to make a few announcements.
The first announcement is about the decision made by the People's Republic of China yesterday on the yuan's exchange rate.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura made a statement this morning in which he said as follows.
Japan welcomes China's decision to make the yuan rate more flexible because it will benefit not only China but also Japan and the global economy. Japan considers it as a step towards making the yuan more adjustable to the fluctuation and movement of the world economy although we have to monitor the effect of this Chinese decision very carefully.
- Japan-Ukraine relations
Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is about Japan-Ukraine relations.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine yesterday, and they both issued two statements. One is the Joint Statement on a New Partnership in the 21st Century between Japan and Ukraine and the other is the Joint Press Release on the Cooperation between Japan and Ukraine in the field of Science and Technology. The text of these statements will be uploaded on our website shortly in English.
On this occasion of the meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and President Yushchenko, there was a very heartwarming incident that I would like to share with you. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence yesterday, and at that time, the President returned the property of a soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army which had been exhibited at Ukraine's National Museum of the Great Patriotic War to Prime Minister Koizumi.
It was a Rising Sun flag, which apparently had belonged to a soldier of the Japanese Imperial Army. The Government of Japan had been requesting the Government of Ukraine to return it to Japan since April 2004. It was agreed that the flag would be returned on the occasion of President Yushchenko's visit to Japan and so it was done.
The flag will be promptly returned to its original owner, Mr. Yoshisato Yamamura aged 81, who now resides in Oita City.
- Japan-Cambodia negotiations on Japan-ASEAN comprehensive economic partnership agreement
Mr. Takashima: The other announcement I have is that the Government of Japan and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia are holding negotiations for the possible economic partnership agreement (EPA) between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) today at Phnom Penh.
Related Information (Japan-Cambodia Relations)
Related Information (Economic Partnership Agreement)
- Japan's grant assistance
Mr. Takashima: The other announcement I have here is that the Government of Japan decided to provide the following grant assistance to four countries.
First, the Government of Japan has decided to extend to the nation of Tuvalu US$9.0 million for upgrading the electric power supply in this island nation.
Secondly, the Government of Japan has decided to extend US$6.0 million to the Republic of Benin for a water supply project.
The other grant assistance is emergency assistance to Romania, which sustained a major flood disaster. The Government of Japan has decided to extend US$100,000 worth of emergency goods such as tents, water purifiers and electric generators.
At the same time, the Government of Japan has decided to extend US$519,000 to the southern part of Iraq, the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, for the rehabilitation of roads, provision of street lighting equipment and provision of drainage system.
- Guests and national/special days of the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan (23 - 29 July)
Mr. Takashima: This week, for the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, we expect the following dignitaries to visit Japan to attend their national day events.
First, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Miguel Angel Moratinos of Spain and his wife will visit Japan from 24 to 26 July to attend the National Day event on 25 July. Minister of Foreign Trade Raul de la Nuez Ramirez of the Republic of Cuba will visit Japan from 24 to 29 July to attend the National Day event on 26 July. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lakshman Kadirgamar of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka will visit Japan from 26 July to 3 August to attend the National Day event on 27 July. The Peruvian National Day event will be held on 28 July and Peruvian Ambassador to Japan Luis Macchiavello will represent his nation at this event.
Japan welcomes the dignitaries who will visit Japan as Guests of the World Exposition to attend these National Day events.
- Questions concerning Six-Party Talks
Q: Can I ask for your guidance on the Six-Party Talks that are going to happen next week? There are reports today in the Republic of Korea (ROK) press that say the meetings this time will place more emphasis on bilateral talks as opposed to having the six countries together at a plenary session. Is that correct?
Mr. Takashima: My understanding is that the modality or how to hold the Six-Party Talks this time has not been decided yet. It is still a matter to be negotiated among the parties concerned. What the Government of Japan hopes, and this is shared by the Governments of the United States of America (US) as well as the ROK and we believe China holds the same view, is that this round of Six-Party Talks is constructive, serious, and produce some tangible result. In order to achieve this goal, the parties concerned will have a thorough discussion on how to hold this round of talks. Modality is one of the main agenda to be dealt by the representatives at the outset of this meeting.
Q: Just to follow-up on that, when you say "tangible result," do you have a specific result in mind?
Mr. Takashima: We would like to see the North Korean side take a serious attitude and position in participating in the Six-Party Talks. We would like to see North Korean commitment to denuclearize its nation through this round of talks.
Q: Will Japan and the US still be calling for a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement (CVID)? Will that be a sort of benchmark for success in this round of talks?
Mr. Takashima: The CVID of North Korea is very important, and we would like to see that North Korea will adhere to the international promise they made in the past, that the Korean Peninsula should be a nuclear-free peninsula. As for how this goal will be achieved, in what manner, under what timetable or what sort of arrangement, these are matters to be discussed.
Q: Japan has been criticized by the North Korean Government regarding its participation in the Six-Party Talks. How would you counter that argument?
Mr. Takashima: That is the North Korean view, and that is their statement. We believe that we are a viable member of the Six-Party Talks, and we are making utmost efforts to achieve the goal of the Six-Party Talks. At the same time, as it was stated in the Japan-Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Pyongyang Declaration which was signed by Prime Minister Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il back in September 2002 when Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea, Japan has full intention to normalize relations with North Korea once all those pending issues are resolved. Pending issues include the nuclear issue, the missile issue, the abduction issue as such.
- Questions concerning abduction issue
Q: North Koreans have made it very clear that they do not want the abduction issue brought up. Do you think that the abduction issue stands any chance of producing this tangible result less possible? And are you prepared to move on the subject of abductions in order to obtain this tangible result?
Mr. Takashima: We believe that the abduction issue, which is a human rights violation issue, is as important as the nuclear issue. However, at the same time, we recognize that the main purpose of the Six-Party Talks is to deal with the nuclear issue first. Therefore, what we are planning to do is that we would raise the existence of this issue at the outset of the Six-Party Talks, possibly through the opening remarks. Also, we would seek the opportunity of having bilateral direct talks with North Korea to discuss bilateral issues including the abduction issue.
Q: What would these opening remarks say?
Mr. Takashima: It is too early to give you the exact wording, but as we have done in the past, we will mention that the abduction issue is still a pending issue between Japan and North Korea.
Q: North Koreans have rejected the chance to have bilateral talks about abduction in the past. If once again they reject the invitation you have given to have a bilateral meeting, what happens then? Is the abduction issue significant enough to walk away from the Six-Party Talks?
Mr. Takashima: You are asking a very hypothetical question. In the past, we did have bilateral talks with North Korea along with the Six-Party Talks. We would not be surprised if there would be another round of talks.
Besides, in addition to these encounters on the sidelines of the Six-Party Talks, we are calling for the resumption of official bilateral negotiations between Japan and North Korea. They have been suspended, and we would like to see that North Koreans would show willingness to come back to the negotiating table.
Q: During these bilateral talks, how important would the Megumi Yokota issue be?
Mr. Takashima: This is part of the abduction issue, and we would like to resolve the whole abduction issue including the Megumi Yokota issue because we are not sure if she is dead or alive. We do not know where she is. If North Koreans claim that she is already dead, then we would like to know the exact evidence of her death. Unfortunately, so far, the so-called evidence provided to us were not substantial or had any convincing element in it.
Q: The professor that conducted those tests, Professor Tomio Yoshii, was then interviewed in an English magazine and said that the results could have been contaminated and as a result of that they were not conclusive. He has subsequently been promoted to a new job and he is not talking to the press. There does seem to be a genuine scientific debate about whether the Japanese tests of these remains were conclusive or not. It seems as if there is a very valid debate about whether these tests are valid and yet it has not been permitted to take place. How does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs feel about this?
Mr. Takashima: This issue is mainly handled by the Japanese National Police Agency, and they are happy with the results they have obtained. That means that the so-called remains of Megumi Yokota were not those of Megumi Yokota but those of somebody else, possibly those of two or more people.
The professor you mentioned, my understanding is that he said that he responded to a question posed by a reporter from the British magazine Nature in general terms. He did not specifically answer any specific questions on those particular remains.
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