Press Conference 31 January 2006
- Japan's policy regarding the Taiwan issue
- Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations on the inauguration of President Denis SASSOU NGUESSO of the Republic of Congo as Chairman of the African Union (AU)
- Visit by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom
- International Symposium on Scientific and Technical Aspects on the Establishment of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles
- First Japan-Russia Working Group Meeting on Consular Affairs
- Non-project grant aid to the Kingdom of Lesotho
- Cultural grant aid to the Republic of Moldova
- One World Festival at the Osaka International House
- Questions concerning Iranian nuclear issue
- Questions concerning aid to the Palestinian Territories
- Question concerning withdrawal of Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in Iraq
- Japan's policy regarding the Taiwan issue
Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Now let me begin. Before making today's announcements, let me just touch on the issue of Taiwan because I have been asked a couple of questions related to the remarks President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan made, commemorating the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
We understand that on 29 January, President Chen expressed his interest in abolishing such institutions as the Unification Panel and the Guidelines for National Unification, and he also stated his interest in Taiwan joining the United Nations (UN) and introducing a new constitution for Taiwan.
Regarding these issues, certainly what is most important is to preserve and enhance the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait. As a neighboring nation Japan has been paying very much keen attention to the situation, and it has been our strong desire that any dispute be settled through dialogue. We are very much hoping that both sides of the Taiwan Strait will engage in dialogue to achieve a peaceful settlement as soon as possible.
Now about Japan's policy towards the People's Republic of China, that was expressed very much clearly by Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Aso when he gave his speech about Asian strategy on 7 December last year, in which he reiterated Japan's longstanding position that we would not want any status quo to be broken by any unilateral action from both sides and that no military or political confrontation should happen. It has been Japan's longstanding position that we will uphold our positions expressed in the Joint Communiqué between Japan and China. We do not take a policy of two Chinas or one China and one Taiwan. These are the policies and points that Foreign Minister Aso reiterated in his speech.
- Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations on the inauguration of President Denis SASSOU NGUESSO of the Republic of Congo as Chairman of the African Union (AU)
Mr. Taniguchi: Now today's announcements, the first item is about the statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations on the inauguration of President Denis SASSOU NGUESSO of the Republic of Congo as Chairman of the African Union (AU). The statement reads as follows:
Japan congratulates H.E. Mr. Denis SASSOU NGUESSO, President of the Republic of Congo, on his inauguration as Chairman of the African Union (AU).
Japan hopes that President SASSOU NGUESSO will exert strong leadership as the AU Chairman throughout his one-year term, as the AU has been given a really critical role to play in advancing African regional cooperation and integration for the peace and prosperity of Africa as a whole.
Since President SASSOU NGUESSO is an active promoter of peace not only in his own country but also in the region, his inauguration as the AU Chairman will be able to bring about positive effects on peace consolidation in Africa, which Japan attaches particular importance in its policy towards Africa. In this regard, Japan hopes for even closer coordination and cooperation with President SASSOU NGUESSO.
- Visit by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom
Mr. Taniguchi: The next item is about Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi's visit to Europe.
Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Yachi is now visiting the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK). His visit to Europe started from 30 January, and he is scheduled to be back on 3 February.
In Belgium, he will exchange views on Japan-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) relations and Japan-European Union (EU) relations with such people as Ambassador Alessandro Minuto RIZZO, Deputy Director-General of NATO; Mr. Robert COOPER, Director-General for External and Politico-Military Affairs, Council of the European Union; and Mr. Eneko LANDABURU, Director-General for External Relations, EU.
In Germany, he will hold a Vice-Ministerial meeting with his counterpart Dr. Klaus Sharioth, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office. Vice Foreign Minister Yachi will also exchange views with Mr. Georg Boomgarden, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, and Mr. Chiristoph Heusgen, Foreign Policy and National Security Advisor for Chancellor.
In the UK, he will hold a Japan-UK Vice-Ministerial Meeting with his counterpart Sir Michael Jay KCMG, Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service. He will also exchange views with Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Advisor and Head of Secretariat.
Related Information (Japan-Belgium Relations)
Related Information (Japan-Germany Relations)
Related Information (Japan-U.K. Relations) - International Symposium on Scientific and Technical Aspects on the Establishment of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles
Mr. Taniguchi: The next item is about the International Symposium on Scientific and Technical Aspects on the Establishment of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the United Nations University (UNU) will co-host an international symposium on issues relating to establishing the outer limits of the continental shelf, inviting many speakers from Japan and abroad. Members of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) are also invited.
The symposium will be held on 6 and 7 March at the U-Tant International Conference Hall, UNU. Please see our website for detailed information.
- First Japan-Russia Working Group Meeting on Consular Affairs
Mr. Taniguchi: The next item is about the First Japan-Russia Working Group Meeting on Consular Affairs that will be held in Moscow on 1 February.
The Japanese side will be represented by Deputy Director-General of the Consular Affairs Bureau Hiroshi Fukada of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other officials, and the Russian side by Deputy Director of the Consular Affairs Department Igor Vladimirovich AKHANOV of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, issues on simplification of visa system will be discussed.
- Non-project grant aid to the Kingdom of Lesotho
Mr. Taniguchi: There are two more items about Japan's official development assistance (ODA).
One of them is a non-project grand aid to the Kingdom of Lesotho, and the amount of assistance is 200 million yen or approximately US$1.7 million. The objective is to support the economic structural reform conducted by Lesotho.
- Cultural grant aid to the Republic of Moldova
Mr. Taniguchi: There is also a cultural grant aid to the Republic of Moldova, and the amount of assistance is up to 16.3 million yen or approximately US$142,000. The objective is to help the project for the improvement of audio-visual and exhibition equipment of the National Art Museum.
- One World Festival at the Osaka International House
Mr. Taniguchi: There is just one other item that is pretty much new; it is a simplistic announcement about what is called One World Festival, and that is going to be held on 4 and 5 February at the Osaka International House. The One World Festival is going to be held in collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGO), municipalities, companies in the Kansai area, and so on. This event has been going on every year since 1993, and it is part of a public relations effort on the side of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to let the public better understand the meaning of ODA.
- Questions concerning Iranian nuclear issue
Q: It appears that Iran's nuclear dossier will be taken up with the Security Council. Has Japan reacted to this?
Mr. Taniguchi: Actually one of the new developments is as follows.
Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Katsutoshi Kaneda was in London and met Iranian Foreign Minister Manucher Mottaki on 30 January from 18:00 UK time. Vice Minister Kaneda mentioned that the overall bilateral relationship between Japan and Iran has been going on rather smoothly, and he expressed the Government of Japan's interest once again in inviting Foreign Minister Mottaki to Japan at an appropriate time in order for both Japan and Iran to exchange views about the bilateral relationship.
Now about the nuclear issue, Vice Minister Kaneda reiterated Japan's policy about this, saying that all uranium enrichment activities should be stopped without exception and that Iran should follow all the requests that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made so far. So those are the two points that Vice Minister Kaneda mentioned to Foreign Minister Mottaki in London.
Thirdly, Vice Minister Kaneda mentioned that there is no question that Iran as a nation has a right to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes but in order for that to happen Iran should take utmost interest in building the confidence with the international community, so confidence-building with the international community is the most important thing for Iran in trying to do anything related to nuclear activities. So given the situation, what is called research activities even falls under this category. You have to have the international community's confidence first, and then you can talk about the possibility of using nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Those are the points that Vice Minister Kaneda mentioned.
It is our understanding that the P5 nations as well as Germany are talking about bringing this issue to the UN Security Council. About it I should say that that is exactly the kind of things the Japanese Government has repeatedly mentioned and talked about with the Iranian Government, namely that if things go on as they have, it is inevitable that this issue will be brought to the floor of the UN Security Council. Let me just say that this point was also clearly mentioned by Foreign Minister Aso when he conducted a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Mottaki some time ago.
So this is what I can say to you at the moment.
Q: Sorry, "some time ago," is that this year?
Mr. Taniguchi: This year on 18 January.
- Questions concerning aid to the Palestinian Territories
Q: I have a question about Hamas. Japan is one of the largest donors to Palestine, and there are calls to stop aid to Palestine. What is the Japanese position on this?
Mr. Taniguchi: You are absolutely correct in saying that Japan is one of the largest donors of financial and other support to the Palestinian Authority. Indeed, Japan is second only to the United States of America (US) if you exclude a group of nations like the EU. In 2005 alone the amount of support that the Japanese Government gave to the Palestinian Authority amounted to 3.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Palestinian region, so that was without question a large chunk of money which Japan provided to the Palestinian people.
Let me say a few words about the election. Japan sent Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shintaro Ito to the Palestinian region as an election monitor together with 16 other specialists. Japan also provided some amount of money for educational purposes in the run-up to the election. So it is Japan among other nations which has got first-hand knowledge and insight about how the election was conducted. We have no doubt at all that the election was conducted in a very democratic fashion and very much smoothly. So what you can say is the election of Hamas is itself a product of democracy.
Now the question is whether the newly formed government within which Hamas is obviously going to have the majority is going to be an agent for democracy, is going to advocate democracy, and is going to abolish some of their policies about terrorism, in other words, whether or not they will stop being an advocate of terrorism. We are watching very much keenly what sort of position the newly created government is going to take with Israel.
With that said, it will take a month or so for the new government to really take shape. I understand that if there is anyone who was very much surprised by this result, I think it was the Hamas themselves. I think it is probably the case that inside the Hamas organization, those leaders are thinking very hard about the points I mentioned and about what sort of policies they should have after forming the new government. Japan is waiting for that to come and for that to be made clearer, but our principle is what I have just said; they should stop being an advocate of terrorist activities and they should stick to the Roadmap clearly laid out for a peaceful settlement, that is to say, the two state solution.
With those points in mind, what I can say at the moment is to encourage Hamas people to become a full-fledged agent for democracy because their power within the government itself has been brought about by the implementation of democracy, not by terrorist activities. That is pretty much what I can say at the moment.
Q: What would happen if Hamas does not follow these conditions such as a two state solution?
Mr. Taniguchi: I know that there is such a possibility, but we are hoping that that is not the situation that would evolve and take shape. I said we are not discouraging but encouraging the Hamas people and the newly created government to really stick to the peace process and to become an agent for peace and democracy.
Related Information (Japan-Palestinian Authorities Relations) - Question concerning withdrawal of Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in Iraq
Q: There have been several reports lately in the local media here that the Japanese Government has decided to start withdrawing its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in March and complete the withdrawal by May to coincide with the British and Australians. Can you comment on that report?
Mr. Taniguchi: My comment is not going to be a surprising one I am afraid because yes, the political process has been going on very much smoothly in Iraq but we or anyone will need some time to see what sort of government is going to be formed so the situation is still very much fluid. Under these circumstances, we are taking into consideration such factors as what sort of government is going to emerge, what sort of security situation is going to appear in Iraq, whether or not the policing function is going to function well so that the Iraqi police and security forces can provide the local areas with enough security, and what other members of the coalition will do and decide about the situation.
So it is very much a complex equation, and I do not think there is any quick solution to this complex equation at the moment. So Japan's position is the same; we will continue to be in Iraq and if you look at the daily entries to a sort of journal published by the SDF and other people including members of the Foreign Ministry, the level of activities there is intense. They are going to schools, hospitals, and so forth. There is much to do still for the SDF personnel and others, so I do not think the situation has drastically changed over the last couple of weeks. It will remain so for the considerable future.
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