Internet Press Chat Conference, 8 February 2007

Attendance of Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Masayoshi Hamada at the 4th Africa-Asia Business Forum in Tanzania, and visit to Uganda
Visit to Japan of His Excellency Prof. Ing. Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic and Mrs. Klausova
Emergency Assistance to Bolivia for Torrential Rain Disaster
Questions concerning the existence or otherwise of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and North Korea ahead of the Six-Party Talks
Question concerning any bilateral meeting between Japan and North Korea at the Six-Party Talks in Beijing
Question concerning the expectations for the Six-Party Talks
Question concerning the requirements for Japan to consider granting aid to North Korea
Question concerning the topics on the agenda for the visit to Japan of Chinese Foreign Minister Li

I. Attendance of Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Masayoshi Hamada at the 4th Africa-Asia Business Forum in Tanzania, and visit to Uganda

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Let me start today's Regular Internet Chat Press Conference. Today, I have three items to introduce before I take questions.

First, let me inform you of the attendance of Mr. Masayoshi Hamada, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs at the 4th Africa-Asia Business Forum held in the United Republic of Tanzania and his visit to Republic of Uganda.

Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hamada is currently in Uganda, and is scheduled to leave there on 11 February. After that, he will visit Tanzania between 11 February and 14 February.

Mr. Hamada is in Uganda to exchange views with high ranking officials of the government of Uganda on bilateral relations and stability in the Great Lakes Region. He will also visit the northern region of the country to see the situation of people displaced by conflicts.

In Tanzania, he will attend the 4th Africa-Asia Business Forum (AABF IV) held as part of the TICAD process, which is at the core of Japan's foreign policy toward Africa, and will also exchange opinions with high ranking officials of the Tanzanian government to do a follow-up of the visit of President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania to Japan last November.

The Forum is intended to offer a venue for business talks between African and Asian companies to promote trade and investment between the two regions and provide information on the business environment in Africa. About 200 companies from Africa and Asia, including Japan, will participate in the Forum, which also will be inaugurated by President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania.

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II. Visit to Japan of His Excellency Prof. Ing. Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic and Mrs. Klausova

Mr. Taniguchi: His Excellency Prof. Ing. Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Klausova, will pay an official visit to Japan from 13 February to 16 February. During their stay in Japan, the President and Mrs. Klausova will make a State Call on Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, and the President will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Government of Japan sincerely welcomes the visit of the President and Mrs. Klausova in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of rapprochement between Japan and the Czech Republic, which will further strengthen the friendly relations with the Czech Republic, a part of the "Arc of Freedom and Prosperity".

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III. Emergency Assistance to Bolivia for Torrential Rain Disaster

Mr. Taniguchi: The Government of Japan decided on 7 February to provide emergency relief goods (tents, blankets, sleeping mats, water purifiers, etc.), equivalent to about 12 million yen, to the Government of the Republic of Bolivia, for its sustained damage caused by torrential rain. According to the Government of Bolivia, 27 people are dead, and about 100,000 people are affected due to the damage caused by the torrential rain, which is damaging infrastructure all over Bolivia. In Bolivia, the afflicted people are forced to lead a difficult life as evacuees, and under these circumstances the Government of Bolivia has requested emergency assistance from Japan, while making its own restoration efforts.

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IV. Questions concerning the existence or otherwise of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and North Korea ahead of the Six-Party Talks

Q: Good afternoon Sir. Hope all's well with you. On a hot topic, that is the Six-Party Talks. I believe you must be aware of a Japanese press report that the United States and North Korea signed last month in Berlin a memorandum of understanding which covered initial steps for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Has the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs been informed of this during Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill's visit here or anytime recently?

Would a memorandum of understanding ahead of the Six-Party Talks affect the flow of Six-Party negotiations in a way that will give North Korea too much of an edge?

Mr. Taniguchi: Thanks for your question. I just would like to say that there is absolutely no misunderstanding between the United States and Japan.

Q: Sorry Sir I just want to clarify. What do you mean by "no misunderstanding between the United States and Japan"? Mr. Hill says there is no document and this is also the understanding of the Japanese Government? (Meaning that Mr. Hill informed Japan that there is no such document and there is no misunderstanding between Japan and the United States on this matter?)

Mr. Taniguchi: It was in general terms. Assistant Secretary of State Hill and Mr. Kenichiro Sasae, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have been in close touch with one another over the last couple of weeks. That was what I referred to.

V. Question concerning any bilateral meeting between Japan and North Korea at the Six-Party Talks in Beijing

Q: A follow-up question on the Six-Party Talks. As of press time, has there been any bilateral meeting/contact between Japan and North Korea? If so, when? If not, is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aware of any plans for a Japan-North Korea bilateral meeting today or tomorrow?

Mr. Taniguchi: On your second question, we are hoping that a working group will be set to look into the bilateral issues, but it is too early to foresee what will likely happen in Beijing today and tomorrow.

VI. Question concerning the expectations for the Six-Party Talks

Q: Again, related to Six-Party Talks, there has been a new sense of optimism that this time around North Korea will take initial steps for nuclear abandonment, thus moving the Six-Party process forward. But on the other hand, there are concerns that Japan's abduction issue just might be sidestepped. What exactly would be the steps that North Korea must do so that Japan would assess it as a "step forward" and see it as a "sincere response" by the North? For instance, that North Korea will make a written promise it will return the remaining abductees or hand over North Korean abductors to Japan?

Mr. Taniguchi: You are asking me to make a prediction as to the course that a possible bilateral meeting between Japan and North Korea could take. It is a far fetched question, and I must say, if only I knew...

On the so-called optimism, at the least I should add an adjective "very cautious". What is important is to know what lessons Pyongyang has learned since the last round.

VII. Question concerning the requirements for Japan to consider granting aid to North Korea

Q: Hello. I'd like to ask another question related to the Six-Party Talks.

Is it absolutely clear the Japanese Government will not agree to provide any kind of aid to North Korea, whether it may be for energy development or humanitarian purposes, if the abduction case is not resolved? That is, even if negotiations move forward towards North Korea giving up its nuclear program?

Mr. Taniguchi: Let me make a small sigh before answering your question, because the questions I am dealing with in this session are the ones no-one can answer for sure, by definition. Whether Japan would agree on giving aid to North Korea will be a function of a whole bunch of parameters. I for one hope very much first and foremost that Pyongyang will have a common sense that to keep on isolating itself from the second largest economy, which is as big as the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Korea put together, will bear no fruit, and hence come to the bilateral dialogue to resolve the abduction issue.

VIII. Question concerning the topics on the agenda for the visit to Japan of Chinese Foreign Minister Li

Q: Chinese Foreign Minister Li is set to visit Tokyo next week. Would the incident where a Chinese vessel entered what Japan claims to be its EEZ be high on the agenda? How about its missile test, blowing up a satellite?

Mr. Taniguchi: The short answer is I do not know. A slightly longer version would be that this visit is going to be an important one to pave the road for the success of the subsequently scheduled visit of President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China.

Related Information (Press Release)

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