Internet Press Chat Conference, 13 September 2007

1. Tokyo African Club (TAC) meeting in preparation for the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV)
2. Questions concerning the next plenary session of the Six-Party Talks
3. Question concerning the visit to Japan by Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Jia Qinglin

I. Tokyo African Club (TAC) meeting in preparation for the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV)

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Let me start today's Regular Internet Chat Press Conference.

Yesterday, Wednesday 12 September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited African ambassadors and other related officials to the ministry and held what we call a Tokyo African Club (TAC) meeting, a preparation meeting for TICAD IV to be held in May, 2008 in Yokohama, Japan.

Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, headed the Japanese side, and Mr. Salah Hannachi, Tunisian Ambassador to Japan, the African side.

Related Information (TICAD and Japanese ODA)

II. Questions concerning the next plenary session of the Six-Party Talks

Q: The plenary session of the Six-Party Talks is expected to start next week at the earliest. What are Japan's expectations for the Six-Party Talks?

Mr. Taniguchi: My answer would be to review what has happened in the interim in terms of inspection over the nuclear facilities in the country and make sure the disablement of the facilities would really be complete. The Japanese team is likely to introduce what has been discussed bilaterally between North Korea and Japan. They will also discuss the "roadmap" for the future processes.

Q: So the view is that these upcoming Six-Party Talks are going to be a critical meeting in terms of creating a roadmap for the future processes? Are efforts underway in creating this roadmap in writing, say, in the form of another joint statement, similar to the February 2007 and September 2005 agreements?

Mr. Taniguchi: I think it would be too much if I would say yes to your questions. It is important always to remember there can be a range of definitions even about a seemingly simple term "disablement."

Q: Would it be safe to assume that the parties will use the upcoming meeting to come to a consensus on what this term "disablement" will mean?

Mr. Taniguchi: My honest answer is I don't know. Many technicalities seem to be there waiting to be clarified.

Related Information (Six-Party Talks on North Korean Issues)

III. Question concerning the visit to Japan by Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Jia Qinglin

Q: On an entirely different topic. China's fourth-ranked leader Jia Qinglin is here in town. What topics do you think will be covered between him and Mr. Machimura when they meet later in the afternoon? What is the most important message that Japan wants to convey to Mr. Jia?

Mr. Taniguchi: As you know he is here to meet people like Foreign Minister Machimura in Tokyo and later on to join the 9th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention taking place now in Kobe, if my memory serves. What Mr. Machimura will likely say, I can only guess, is that the People's Republic of China and Japan share strategic interests and that the bilateral relationship has been going on rather well in this important year of the 35th anniversary of the normalization of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This concludes today's chat conference.

Related Information (Press Release)