Press Conference, 2 June 2006

Statement by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Iranian nuclear issue: US proposal on negotiations with Iran
Japan's dispatch of personnel and emergency grant aid for the earthquake disaster in Central Java, Republic of Indonesia
Other notices and announcements
Grant aid
Follow-up questions concerning Japan's dispatch of personnel and emergency grant aid for the earthquake disaster in Indonesia
Questions concerning provision of patrol boats to Indonesia by the Government of Japan

I. Statement by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Iranian nuclear issue: US proposal on negotiations with Iran

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Good afternoon, let me start today's press conference.

First, Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, gave a statement yesterday on 1 June about the Iranian nuclear issue in regard to the US proposal and negotiations with Iran.

Related Information (Press Release)

II. Japan's dispatch of personnel and emergency grant aid for the earthquake disaster in Central Java, Republic of Indonesia

Mr. Taniguchi: Also, there has been a further development in Japan's disaster relief effort for the earthquake that hit in the Republic of Indonesia. For instance, I was given a notice right now that the Government of Japan is going to send the second team of a medical unit of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) which is comprised of 100 experts, in addition to the 50 personnel that are already in Indonesia, some of whom are already providing assistance to the disaster-hit areas.

Also, in terms of financial support, you may be aware that the Japanese Government previously made a pledge that it would provide emergency grant aid of up to US$10 million. Out of this amount US$4 million will go to the Government of Indonesia, and US$1 million will be going to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. That is the decision that the Japanese Government made today, Friday, 2 June. These will add to the already decided provision of aid in kind amounting to 20 million yen for tents and other relief goods. That is about the additional effort that the Japanese Government is putting into its disaster relief programs that are ongoing in Indonesia.

III. Other notices and announcements

Mr. Taniguchi: The remaining part would be a list of many announcements, actually, and I will be brief in reading out only the titles of notices and announcements that have come out over the last couple of days.

There is going to be the Second Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue taking place next week on 6 June in Tokyo.

With regard to this, Foreign Minister Aso gave a speech yesterday about this dialogue. The title of the speech was "Central Asia as a Corridor of Peace and Stability," and you can already read the full text of its English translation on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the full text of another speech that Foreign Minister Aso gave of late that was entitled "A Networked Asia: Conceptualizing a Future." These two are texts in English which are already available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so if you have time please visit and have a look at them.

The next item is the First Meeting of Japanese Executive Committee for Japan-India Friendship and Exchange Year which took place yesterday. The year 2007 will be a year for Japan-India friendship and exchange, and the executive committee for that year to be successful was launched yesterday.

The next item is about the entry into force of the Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income.

IV. Grant aid

Mr. Taniguchi: Next, a notice was given about grant aid to Mongolia for the Project for Construction of the Eastern Arterial Road and Improvement of the Related Equipments (Phase II). There was an announcement also about grant aid to the Kingdom of Nepal, and also grant aid to the Kyrgyz Republic for the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship. Also, grant aid is going to the Azerbaijani Republic for the Project for the Improvement of Mushviq Substation in Baku, and there is grant aid to the Lao People's Republic for the Project for the Vientiane Water Supply Development and the Project for Human Resources Development Scholarship.

Related Information (Japan's ODA)

V. Follow-up questions concerning Japan's dispatch of personnel and emergency grant aid for the earthquake disaster in Indonesia

Q: Just to confirm the latest of the Indonesian disaster, you said the pledged amount is US$10 million, correct?

Mr. Taniguchi: That is the amount that the Japanese Government has already pledged, yes.

Q: Then the new one is plus US$4 million?

Mr. Taniguchi: No, out of the pledged amount US$4 million dollars will go to the Indonesian Government.

Q: Then US$1 million will go to the International Red Cross?

Mr. Taniguchi: That is right.

Q: Where is the remaining US$5 million going?

Mr. Taniguchi: It is going to be decided.

Q: It has not yet been decided?

Mr. Taniguchi: We have a package of US$10 million, and out of that US$4 million will go to the Government of Indonesia and US$1 million will go to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, so [how we will use] the remaining part is going to be decided in due course.

Q: My second question is could you give me a breakdown of the schedule of the first 50 people who went to Indonesia on 31 May? Until when are they going to be there? I need a schedule, and for the next 100 experts from when until when will they be there? Also, who are these people? Meaning are they from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) or wherever, and what about the Self-Defense Forces (SDF)?

Mr. Taniguchi: The additional personal to be sent to Indonesia are people from the GSDF medical unit and are comprised of nurses and doctors. The 100 people that I said will be going to Indonesia in addition to the 50 already on site working are departing on 4 and 5 June from Japan. So they are due to arrive the next day or the day after that.

Q: For these 100 people?

Mr. Taniguchi: Yes, these 100 people are from the GSDF, and 50 people are already in Indonesia who also went from the GSDF. There are other experts, as you pointed out, who have been sent and are working in Indonesia. Some of them are from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and JICA, and others are from Japanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs). If you want to be specific I would be happy to give you detailed knowledge about it later on.

Q: Including the schedule?

Mr. Taniguchi: As for the schedule, it is not going to be decided by nature, it will depend on the situation on site, what the situation is like in Indonesia. That will determine the schedule and duration of their stay.

Q: Do you at least have expectations of how long they will be in Indonesia? One month, two months?

Mr. Taniguchi: I have no idea, it will totally depend on the situation and how soon the situation is going to be ameliorated.

Q: So just to confirm, the 50 persons already dispatched to Indonesia have been there since 31 May, or since when?

Mr. Taniguchi: I would be happy to give you more specific knowledge afterwards, I do not have the specific data at the moment.

VI. Questions concerning provision of patrol boats to Indonesia by the Government of Japan

Q: In a related question, there have been reports that Japan intends to give three patrol boats to Indonesia for relief activities. This basically marks the relaxation of the arms export ban that Japan has in place, and also comes as part of Japan's official development assistance (ODA). I was wondering if you could confirm if there is any truth to that?

Mr. Taniguchi: I am not in a position to confirm that, I have only heard of the news through the media. The Japanese Government has not confirmed it.

Q: If this actually happens this measure will be the first time that Japan would relax its arms export ban.

Mr. Taniguchi: The arms export ban has been confirmed and reconfirmed again and again in the Parliament, and the Parliament has decided that there can be just a minor exception on a strict condition related to the missile defense program between the United States of America (US) and Japan. So it would be a matter of definition whether this will make up such a case, as you pointed out, but I am just explaining a matter of definition. I should reiterate again that I am not in a position now to confirm that rumor.

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