Press Conference, 21 November 2006

Documents available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website
Election of Mr. Takekazu Kawamura as Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference
Question concerning the United States Position with regard to North Korea
Questions concerning Progress toward the Next Round of Six-Party Talks
Question concerning the Extraordinary Meeting of the Co-chairs of the Tokyo Donors' Conference on Sri Lanka
Question concerning the Visit to the Russian Federation of the Leader of the New Komeito Party

I. Documents available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Good afternoon. Thank you very much for coming.

Let me tell you first, that the following items are already up and available on the webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which are about the visit to Japan by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Republic of India; the statement by Vice Minister Masakazu Sekiguchi at the Second Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan; the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Prime Minister's Press Conference , the Statement on the Doha Development Agenda, and so on, and the Ha Noi Declaration [PDF]; about emergency assistance to Afghanistan for flood disaster; about assistance for the "Human Security for the Development of Women and Children in Peru" project; about the exchange of diplomatic notes for the entry into force of the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between Japan and the European Atomic Energy Community (EUROTOM); about the election of Mr. Chusei Yamada as United Nations International Law Commission Member; about the JET Programme's 20th anniversary commemorative ceremony and reception, scheduled for tomorrow, 22 November, with the attendance of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince; about the Japan-Chile Economic Partnership Agreement; and about the statement by the Press Secretary on the adoption at the Third Committee, UN General Assembly, of the Resolution on "Situation of Human Rights in North Korea."

II. Election of Mr. Takekazu Kawamura as Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference

Mr. Taniguchi: In addition to these, let me say also that it was decided that Mr. Takekazu Kawamura, currently ambassador of the Mission of Japan to the European Union, who is based in Brussels, has been elected as the Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference. For your information, the Energy Charter Conference is an intergovernmental organization, comprising 52 countries, including Japan, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Republic of Turkey, and so on, founded by what is called the Energy Charter Treaty signed in December 1994. It is a treaty to develop an efficient energy market between countries in Western Europe and the former Eastern Bloc. The Brussels-based Energy Charter Conference ensures that the various rules set out in the Energy Charter Treaty covering areas such as trade, investment, transit and the environment are observed, and Mr. Kawamura is going to be the chairman of the Energy Charter Conference for the next term.

That is it from me. Any questions, please?

Related Information (Energy)

III. Question concerning the United States Position with regard to North Korea

Q: I am wondering what comment or reaction the Japanese Government has had to the published report that President George W. Bush of the United States of America told President Hu Jintao of China that if the North Koreans were willing to give up their nuclear program then the United States would sign a treaty with Pyongyang officially ending the Korean War.

Mr. Taniguchi: The answer to your question is that I am not sure if that is newsworthy. The reason is the following: If you look at the joint statement of the fourth round of the Six-Party Talks which was issued on 19 September 2005 in Beijing, it clearly states that North Korea and the United States undertook to respect each others sovereignty, exist peacefully together, and "take steps to normalize their relations, subject to their respective bilateral policies." That is what has already been stated by the Six-Party Dialog member nations. My understanding is that President Bush reiterated the position again, if what has been told by news reports is really the case.

IV. Questions concerning Progress toward the Next Round of Six-Party Talks

Q: A related question. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill of the United States of America is back in Beijing. Have you had any further indication as to any progress being made on actually holding the next round of Six-Party Talks which North Korea has committed to return to?

Mr. Taniguchi: I can only repeat what Foreign Minister Taro Aso said this morning to the members of the Japanese press corps. He indicated that there is going to be very much limited room in terms of scheduling after Thanksgiving, before Christmas, and before the ASEAN+3 and East Asia Summit Meetings in the Philippines, so in the early part of December we hope that there is going to be the next round of the Six-Party Dialog.

Q: Sir, just to follow up on that. Are there any plans for Mr. Hill to kind of drop by here in Tokyo beforehand?

Mr. Taniguchi: I have got no knowledge about it.

V. Question concerning the Extraordinary Meeting of the Co-chairs of the Tokyo Donors' Conference on Sri Lanka

Q: Regarding your press release on the extraordinary meeting of the co-chairs of the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka, being held starting from yesterday, do you have any comments on what is to be discussed in the conference, or what is the actual prospect of peacemaking in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka?

Mr. Taniguchi: Well, I can only tell you that Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Government of Japan on Peace Building, has been going back and forth between Japan and Sri Lanka, or between Japan and other nations where multinational meetings are being held, and he has been very much instrumental in bringing both sides together but it seems that it takes a little bit more time for a rapprochement to take place. One should only hope that that will come sooner rather than later, and I cannot tell you more about it.

Related Information (Press Release)

VI. Question concerning the Visit to the Russian Federation of the Leader of the New Komeito Party

Q: Today, the visit to the Russian Federation by the leader of the New Komeito Party has started. Is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs involved in this visit, and if it is, what kind of plans does the Japanese Government have about the prospects of those contents?

Mr. Taniguchi: Apart from the ordinary support in terms of logistics support given to the members of the Diet, there is no official involvement on the side of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Therefore I cannot give you any comment.

If you do not have any more questions... Can I close the session? Thank you very much.

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