Press Conference, 17 April 2007

Visit to Japan by Prime Minister Romano Prodi of the Italian Republic
Visit to Japan by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco
Questions concerning the visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the US
Questions concerning the importing of beef from the US and Canada
Questions concerning the North Korean nuclear issue
Follow-up questions concerning the importing of beef from the US and Canada
Questions concerning the abduction issue

I. Visit to Japan by Prime Minister Romano Prodi of the Italian Republic

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

Now, as the first topic worthy of introduction, let me say that Prime Minister Romano Prodi of the Italian Republic and his wife, Mrs. Flavia Franzoni Prodi, are now in Tokyo. They are leaving Japan for Seoul in the Republic of Korea later this afternoon. A summit meeting between Prime Minister Prodi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took place already last night, and the resultant joint press release came out after the meeting. The joint press release is available for you to see on the webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but if I could nonetheless walk you through some of the important points:

It started by reiterating that both Japan and Italy are partners sharing fundamental values like freedom, democracy, respect for basic human rights, and the rule of law. Then it says that Japan and Italy will continue to work together to tackle international challenges such as the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula; human rights abuses in North Korea, including the abduction issue; the reconstruction and stabilization of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Lebanon; as well as the Middle East peace process. The two Prime Ministers also reiterated the importance of the memorandum on bilateral regular political consultations signed in Tokyo by Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Aso and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Massimo D'Alema of Italy on 31 January 2007. They also expressed their desire to further enhance cooperation in the areas of security and defense in order to promote peace and security in the international community.

Part of the purpose of Prime Minister Prodi's visit to Japan was to celebrate the cultural exchange events now going on in Japan for three months ending in May called Primavera Italiana 2007. It has drawn together a variety of Italian cultures, both classical and modern. Yesterday afternoon, the two couples of the Prime Ministers went to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece, The Annunciation.

II. Visit to Japan by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco

Mr. Taniguchi: On a similar topic, an exhibition called, "La Princess Grace de Monaco" is on the road in Japan. Inaugurated in December last year in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, the exhibition has been to Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Osaka and is now in Tokyo. It evidences the still-vivid affection many in Japan feel toward the late Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. Her eldest son, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco will be coming to Tokyo to spend three days, during which he will go see the exhibition.

This will be the first visit to Japan by the head of the Principality of Monaco since Japan and Monaco established a diplomatic relationship back in December last year. Prime Minister Abe will hold a meeting with Prince Albert II and Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan will invite him to the palace for lunch.

III. Questions concerning the visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the US

Q: With regard to Prime Minister Abe's visit to Washington next week, has there been an agenda set? Could you go into some of the details of what might be discussed?

Mr. Taniguchi: The discussion has been going on for some time but I cannot give you a sneak preview as of yet.

Q: Is the date already set -- for the 26th I believe -- for Prime Minister Abe's visit to Washington?

Mr. Taniguchi: Yes, the schedule is set and there is going to be perhaps a joint press opportunity, albeit a brief one, after the meeting that is scheduled to take place in Camp David, but I cannot go further into the details.

IV. Questions concerning the importing of beef from the US and Canada

Q: I have three questions to ask on beef.

The France-based Office International des Epizooties (OIE) is expected to change the status of US and Canadian beef from the lowest quality of BSE safety, which is undetermined risk, to controlled risk, the highest being negligible risk. It is suspected to grant that middle status at the end of May at the general assembly. The question about that is: how will Japan react to that? Will it therefore allow beef on the bone of up to 30 months-of-age to come to Japan?

Mr. Taniguchi: As I know nothing about the first part of your question I cannot, in a proper fashion, answer your question. Rather, I should repeat what I have been saying many times here at this occasion that, when it comes to the safety of the beef, the ultimate amount of safety has to be addressed in order for Japan to continue to import beef from the US.

Q: You said US; what about Canada? I am writing for a Canadian publication.

Mr. Taniguchi: When it comes to people's concerns about the safety of food products, there is no boundary.

V. Questions concerning the North Korean nuclear issue

Q: With regard to the North Korean nuclear issue: the North Koreans obviously missed the deadline for the initial steps. What is the Japanese Government going to do in response?

Mr. Taniguchi: We are urging Pyongyang to start the process as soon as possible to shut and then seal the nuclear facility. It seems that they have not started yet. It is very much outrageous that the North Korean Government on the one hand made a pledge that it would soon start the process and then they have been spending so much time before starting to do anything.

Q: Is there any sign that North Korea is prepared to shut down the nuclear facility?

Mr. Taniguchi: It is not important for you to detect a sign or two; what is important is for the North Korean Government really to start the process and to keep the promise that they made to the international community.

VI. Follow-up questions concerning the importing of beef from the US and Canada

Q: I am reading from a Kyodo press release dated 13 April: "Japan will seek to settle a row over US-grown beef imports in talks with the US amid the mad cow disease scare before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe flies to the US in late April for a summit with US President George Bush, the Japanese Farm Minister said Friday.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka made the remarks at a news conference following talks with US trade representative Susan Schwab."

I would like to know if there has been anything else declared by the Japanese Government since Friday?

Mr. Taniguchi: Not that I know of.

Q: A rather small company that does export to Japan, Creekstone Farms of Kansas, has won a court battle against the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows them to test all their cattle that has been slaughtered for BSE. The USDA was refusing to let them have the test kits, and they sued and won. If the USDA does not appeal from 1 June this year, that company will be allowed to test all their cattle for BSE. They want to make their Japanese customers happy and trust their beef. Of course you cannot answer me today, but if you could answer me Friday or next Tuesday when I come, I am just curious if that will somehow have an effect on Japan's policy to be even more strict towards the US, seeing that a company has decided itself that it will test all its cattle for BSE.

Mr. Taniguchi: Because the US economy is a free market economy there may be one or two companies that want to do this sort of blanket testing over all the beef cattle products. There may be a dispute between a company like this and the authority, in this case the USDA. But, I am not in a position to make a comment or anything about what might happen between a private company such as this and the US authority.

Q: That is not my question. My question is, would Japan -- probably you cannot answer me today, but if you could answer me on a further day -- would this influence the Japanese Government to be stricter on beef safety, seeing as there is already one company that will be testing all its beef. Would it not tell the US Government, "Well, you know, we would like all the companies to test all their cattle that have been slaughtered."

Mr. Taniguchi: I think that was an old story. The current arrangement has enabled a certain amount of beef to be continuously exported from the US to Japan, and at the moment both Governments are sticking to that formula.

VII. Questions concerning the abduction issue

Q: Can I go back to North Korea? With regard to recent revelations about these two children and their mother who were abducted by North Korea in the early 1970s: has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed an official complaint or taken any action towards North Korea with regard to this issue?

Mr. Taniguchi: I do not think that, especially about the case that you cited, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said anything to North Korea, but it is primarily because we have been seeking another opportunity for us to be able to see eye to eye with the North Korean side to really discuss this issue of abduction. There will surely be a chance for the Japanese side when that bilateral meeting materializes to express the great concern about the individuals that you talked about. Not only about the individuals you talked about, but also about many others whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Q: So is it correct to understand this as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so far is not going to raise the issue about this particular case until the bilaterals on the abductions resume?

Mr. Taniguchi: That is right.

Q: Is that to not incite the North Koreans?

Mr. Taniguchi: I understand that the investigation is still going on involving the Japanese police authority and it is wiser for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to really look through the case and have a clear judgment about what actually happened to the family members, rather than just to jump to a conclusion and then say something to the North Korea side. But, this is in addition to the ongoing difficulty for the Japanese Government in terms of having a bilateral meeting with North Korea.

Q: These three who were allegedly abducted -- has the Japanese Government officially determined that this family was abducted to North Korea?

Mr. Taniguchi: To my knowledge, as I said, the investigation is still going on, so as to whether we have reached a clear judgment or not, my answer would be that we are taking a little bit more time.

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