Press Conference, 9 October 2007

Visit to Japan by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ján Kubiš
Visit to Japan of Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Josette Sheeran
Visit to Japan of Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Kandeh Yumkella
Tenth round of negotiations on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
Visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam by Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hitoshi Kimura
Question concerning the Japan-North Korea relationship
Questions concerning the extension of sanctions against North Korea
Question concerning the return of the video camera of the video-journalist killed in the Union of Myanmar

I. Visit to Japan by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ján Kubiš

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Good afternoon, and thanks for joining me for today's conference.

I have five brief announcements on this week's VIP visits and a meeting before I take your questions.

Firstly, from Thursday, 11 October to Sunday, 14 October, on the invitation of Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ján Kubiš will visit Japan.

II. Visit to Japan of Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Josette Sheeran

Mr. Taniguchi: Secondly, tomorrow, Wednesday, 10 October, Ms. Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will be visiting Japan to raise awareness of global hunger and poverty. She will be staying in Japan until Saturday, 13 October, 2007.

III. Visit to Japan of Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Kandeh Yumkella

Mr. Taniguchi: Thirdly, from today, Tuesday, 9 October to Friday, 12 October, Mr. Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will visit Japan to meet Mr. Osamu Uno, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Koji Tsuruoka, Director-General for Global Issues to discuss such issues as cooperation on TICAD IV (the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development) and support for countries with developing and transition economies.

Related Information (TICAD)

IV. Tenth round of negotiations on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

Mr. Taniguchi: Fourthly, the tenth round of negotiations on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is now being held in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines. The negotiations started yesterday, Monday, 8 October and will end on Thursday, 11 October.

Related Information (ASEAN-Japan EPA)

V. Visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam by Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hitoshi Kimura

Mr. Taniguchi: Fifth and last, currently, Mr. Hitoshi Kimura, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, is now visiting the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to inspect a collapsed section of a bridge under construction in the southern city of Can Tho and to offer his condolences to the families of workers who lost their lives due to the collapse. Mr. Kimura will return to Japan tomorrow, Wednesday, 10 October. The bridge was being built involving Japan's official funding and contractors.

VI. Question concerning the Japan-North Korea relationship

Q: Over the weekend there were reports that a South Korean professor who traveled with the President to the inter-Korean summit said that Kim Jong-il had said that the abduction issue is closed. Is the Japanese Government being briefed on this? Can you confirm the reports?

Mr. Taniguchi: There is no way for us to confirm this. I am not normally going to give any comment based on "a reported report," so I should rather refrain from making any comment on this.

In terms of the North Korea-Japan relationship I gather that the North Korean side is at least more forthcoming on having as many discussions as possible with Japan, which is absolutely necessary for North Korea to have better ties with Japan, and Japan's position has never changed in that the packaged issues, like solving abduction, missiles, and nuclear development have to be solved prior to both nations being engaged in the conversation in the run up for the normalization of the diplomatic relationship, that would then enable both nations to settle what is called the "unfortunate past."

VII. Questions concerning the extension of sanctions against North Korea

Q: I know that the Japanese Cabinet extended sanctions in North Korea today. Could you give us any more details?

Mr. Taniguchi: The Cabinet has decided that the sanctions imposed upon North Korea at the moment will be extended for another six months. That is the gist of the decision.

The reasons behind this decision are that there is very little reason for the Government of Japan to alter the view that it has been holding so far about North Korea, because nothing has been solved in terms of abduction or missiles, even though the nuclear issue seems to be advancing in a more positive direction than before. But these developments, or the lack thereof, rather, have not given a good rationale for Japan to change the set of sanctions.

Q: So in order to make changes to the sanctions there must be some kind of progress in the abduction issue?

Mr. Taniguchi: You are right.

Q: Then how exactly do you define progress?

Mr. Taniguchi: Well, the abduction issue obviously is the number one issue for the bilateral relationship, but I should not forget to mention that it is part of a greater package, comprising three areas of concern that I just laid out. So the more progress that is produced in these areas, obviously the better it would be for the bilateral relationship to proceed, and the greater the chance there will be for Japan to lift the sanctions.

VIII. Question concerning the return of the video camera of the video-journalist killed in the Union of Myanmar

Q: On Myanmar, are there any developments in Myanmar's response to Japan's demanding the return of the video camera?

Mr. Taniguchi: So far, nothing. The Japanese Government is going to continue to demand that the video camera -- the camcorder -- and its content be returned to Japan and to the members of the bereaved family.

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