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Press Conference, 11 September 2007

  1. 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
  2. Visit to Japan by ROK junior high school students under the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program
  3. Follow-up questions concerning the JENESYS Program
  4. Questions concerning the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law
  5. Questions concerning Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura

I. 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Good afternoon, thanks very much for coming.

Today, Tuesday, 11 September, marks the 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in which as many as 24 Japanese nationals lost their lives. Japan will continue to engage in the fight against terrorism and work together with the international community in this fight.

Related Information (Counter Terrorism)

II. Visit to Japan by ROK junior high school students under the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program

Mr. Taniguchi: One other item to introduce.

This morning, 100 Korean junior high school students visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met Mr. Osamu Uno, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs. These students came to Japan yesterday, Monday, 10 September, on the invitation of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths, otherwise known as the "JENESYS Program".

Starting from tomorrow, Wednesday, 12 September, they will be visiting Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama and other places to see cultural and economic facilities and interact with Japanese junior high school students and return to their home from Osaka on Sunday, 16 September.

In this fiscal year, the JENESYS Program will invite about 900 junior high and high school students, university students and teachers from Korea on a short-term basis and 200 university students on a long-term basis.

Related Information (Press Release)

III. Follow-up questions concerning the JENESYS Program

Q: Does the JENESYS Program take place every year? What is the purpose of the Program and how is it funded?

Mr. Taniguchi: This is a program we launched this year, and it is going to continue for five consecutive years. A total of 6,000 young people, including high school and university students, from not only the Republic of Korea but also Viet Nam and other Asian countries, are to come to Japan each and every year for five years, on the funding provided by the Japanese Government.

IV. Questions concerning the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law

Q: Given the strong opposition of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law, which is set to expire on 1 November, what are the chances of its extension and what is the outlook for the future of the current administration?

Mr. Taniguchi: The situation now depends on whether the current law can be extended or not. The important thing is for the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) to be able to continue their refueling operations in the Indian Ocean.

Q: Though it has been six years since the 9/11 attacks, the "War on Terror" is still going on. This morning Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano urged the citizens of Japan to support the extension of the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law. What is your opinion on this?

Mr. Taniguchi: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is of exactly the same view as Chief Cabinet Secretary Yosano.

Related Information (Counter Terrorism)

V. Questions concerning Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura

Q: Does the new Foreign Minister, Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, plan on any talks --

Mr. Taniguchi: About this?

Q: No -- in the next few weeks or so does he -- ?

Mr. Taniguchi: New Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machmimura -- i s he planning a -- ?

Q: Like participating in any forums?

Mr. Taniguchi: I think it is one of the most important tasks for the Abe Administration to reach out as much as possible to the general public to let them understand what the administration is aiming at achieving. Apart from that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued to hold town-hall-meeting-style gatherings in many places in Japan. For instance, the previous Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Taro Aso, went to four places in total: one in Tokyo, one in Kyushu, one in Kyoto, and the other in Sendai. It is called the "Diplomacy Forum" and it is a town-hall-meeting-style conference that gathers as many as 900 or 1,000 people from the region, so I am sure that Foreign Minister Machimura is also going to take part in those sorts of public conferences.

Q: He does not have anything planned yet?

Mr. Taniguchi: Nothing concrete yet, but it is almost certain that he will do one of those within the next couple of months.

Q: Any other plans? I actually stopped getting the press releases --

Mr. Taniguchi: Press releases about this?

Q: Maybe it is because there has been a huge time lapse since the last time I actually showed up here.

Does he have anything publicly scheduled other than a town hall meeting? Is he a keynote speaker at a -- ?

Mr. Taniguchi: I see. No schedule has been made so far, yet Foreign Minister Machimura is certainly going to make major policy speeches down the road in the future -- about what sort of issue I don't know; when that would be, I don't know, but it is almost certain. Equally he is going to make himself available for town hall meetings or conferences.

Q: How is he settling into his new position?

Mr. Taniguchi: How is he settling into his new position? That is a dangerous question for me to answer, yet, he is one of the most experienced Foreign Ministers because he has spent considerable time, before taking up his role now, under the Koizumi Administration as Foreign Minister. He has already had a very good personal relationship with Dr. Rice, United States Secretary of State, for instance, so he has settled into his position without any difficulty.

Q: As far as you know how -- thinking in terms of other countries -- Foreign Minister Aso was extremely popular in other countries, maybe the Middle Eastern nations, wasn't he particularly -- ?

Mr. Taniguchi: It is important for you to have a Foreign Minister that is liked and loved by everyone, but Foreign Minister is a difficult job and Foreign Minister Machimura I am sure is going to engage in many activities and is going to try to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to go abroad and to let his voice be heard by the people there and to make Japan's positions understood as much as possible. That is what Foreign Minister Machimura is going to do and I think he is very much confident in handling that job.

Q: When is the next big event for him?

Mr. Taniguchi: The Sydney APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Meeting was obviously a huge event. For Japan's Foreign Ministry in general there is of course going to be the United Nations (UN) General Assembly scheduled in September. The US is keen on calling together as many nations as possible to the US also in September so that they can consider what is to be done in terms of climate change, in terms of the global economy, and so on, but I do not know if Foreign Minister Machimura can participate in those meetings because of the parliamentary schedule.

I will have to check my calendar, but in September the UN General Assembly always takes place and that is of course huge for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Q: October?

Mr. Taniguchi: October? You are asking me to shoot a moving target; I cannot tell you exactly what will take place and what will not. If you are interested my colleagues will give you a more detailed schedule.

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