Press Conference, 15 April 2008

Completion of the signing of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP)
Announcement of visits to Japan by foreign dignitaries
Statement regarding the situation in the Republic of Kenya
Questions concerning Taiwan
Questions concerning the People's Republic of China
Questions concerning the outcome of the recent general election in the Italian Republic
Questions concerning the Russian Federation

I. Completion of the signing of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP)

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Hello and good afternoon. Let me just begin with a few announcements.

Firstly I'd like to say that the signing for the AJCEP, or the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, is now complete and over. Welcoming that, Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura issued a press statement last night.

The amount of work involved for this to happen was literally heavy, if I may briefly touch on that. The finalized document was made complete on 25 March. From the next day onward until yesterday, 14 April, three Japanese officials, one from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and two others from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made a grand tour visiting all the capital cities of the 10 ASEAN nations. Each carried two sets of the EPA document, one of course in the ASEAN languages and the other in Japanese, each consisting of 3,600 pages, weighing 25 kilograms, or 55 pounds. I wish they can have a good rest now.

II. Announcement of visits to Japan by foreign dignitaries

Mr. Taniguchi: Secondly, let me introduce that from the ROK (Republic of Korea), President Lee Myung-bak will soon be visiting Japan for two days, this coming Sunday, 20 April and the following Monday. Also from (the Kingdom of) Sweden, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is coming to Japan tonight and will stay until Friday, 18 April. From (the People's Republic of) China, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will be visiting Japan from Thursday, 17 April to Sunday 20 April. Next, Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Hanover, Germany, for two days, upcoming Sunday and Monday, as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to attend the Opening Events of "Hanover Messe 2008," which will be held for two days during his visit.

III. Statement regarding the situation in the Republic of Kenya

Mr. Taniguchi: Third and last, let me remind you that yesterday, the Press Secretary of the Ministry issued a statement regarding the situation in (the Republic of) Kenya, congratulating the coalition government for forming a new Cabinet.

Related Information (Press Release)

IV. Questions concerning Taiwan

Q: Yesterday, president elect of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou held a press conference in which he responded to a question about whether he would be going to Japan by saying that the ball is in the court of Japan. What would be your response?

Mr. Taniguchi: I am not so sure what exactly president elect Ma said at the conference, but officially speaking the Japanese Government has heard nothing so far directly from president elect Ma.

Q: Though Japan waives visas for people from Taiwan, will president elect Ma need to get a visa from the Japanese Government?

Mr. Taniguchi: Yes, all the Taiwanese can enter Japan without any visa, but that does not translate into Japan as a sovereign nation being obligated to accept all the Taiwanese without any conditions.

Q: In giving an interview to a reporter from Yomiuri Shimbun, former president of Taiwan Lee Teng-Hui said that he would be interested also in coming to Japan once again this year to go through the Oku no Hoso-michi route. Will the Japanese Government need to issue some kind of document or approval to former president Lee?

Mr. Taniguchi: As I understand, former president Lee made a visit to Japan exactly for the same purpose last year. It will be difficult to imagine that there is going to be a difference between last year and this year, but, that said, the Japanese Government is going to make an appropriate decision when it actually happens.

Q: You just mentioned that you have not got any official request from Mr. Ma, who wishes to come to Japan before 20 May. What would you do if you get an official request from Mr. Ma Ying-jeou and what kind of things will be taken into consideration when you make the response?

Mr. Taniguchi: I must say that because president elect Ma has said nothing officially to the Japanese Government, it is hard for me to make a prediction at this moment. I should rather not do that. What kind of reaction is the Japanese Government going to show when exactly Mr. Ma has made a proposal officially to the Japanese Government, I can only say that the Japanese Government is going to give an appropriate decision when that actually has happened. What sort of things would be taken into consideration by the Japanese Government in response to that official request? I cannot say much either, because that will depend on many elements to consider. What sort of elements the Japanese Government is going to consider, I cannot say either.

Q: Prime Minister Fukuda has a really hard schedule, as he is going to visit other countries. Will the hard schedule be taken into consideration?

Mr. Taniguchi: Certainly, Prime Minister Fukuda is running one of the tightest schedules ever applied to any Japanese political leader. As you have pointed out, the diplomatic schedule is also very much tight. In addition, the Diet schedule is tighter than ever. So that the scheduling issue is one of the greatest concerns for Prime Minister Fukuda to consider any meeting between him and guests from foreign nations.

Related Information (Taiwan)

V. Questions concerning the People's Republic of China

Q: Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Yabunaka is in Beijing right now. Can you update us on how the talks have gone with his Chinese counterpart, especially if they have made any progress in the East China Sea dispute?

Mr. Taniguchi: I do not think there have been developments of significance. They do understand that they have to talk continuously about the issue of East China Sea development.

Q: Given that we have less than a month coming up before the Chinese President's visit to Japan, can we expect any sort of solution before that, or is it going to be during the Summit talks or afterwards?

Mr. Taniguchi: I should only reiterate what has been said many times before: there is political will shared by the leaders of China and Japan to make the area a symbol of cooperation. But it seems that they are taking more time to reach the solution, and I am not sure as of yet at which stage exactly the negotiation is.

Q: How likely is it that the so-called Fourth Document is going to be signed between the People's Republic of China and Japan during President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan?

Mr. Taniguchi: There is nothing that I can say at the moment.

Q: My question is about the torch relay for the Beijing Olympic Games scheduled to take place on 26 April in Nagano. Will the so-called torch guard actually be allowed or rejected by the Japanese police?

Mr. Taniguchi: I have been aware that there have been reports that the police authority is not interested in allowing the torch guard to join the torch relay. I understand that looking at lots of developments that have happened when the torch passed in many countries, the Japanese local authority, police authority and others have heightened their awareness about the need to provide security to the torch relay. Whether the team of people wearing blue jackets, the so-called torch guard, will be allowed at the final stage to the torch relay in Nagano, I do not know. I should, rather, suggest that you ask the same question directly to the Japanese police.

Q: Will the members of the Imperial Family of Japan attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics?

Mr. Taniguchi: Honestly speaking, I have no knowledge whatsoever about that.

VI. Questions concerning the outcome of the recent general election in the Italian Republic

Q: Following the outcome of the general election in the Italian Republic, it is now certain that Mr. Silvio Berlusconi is going to form a Cabinet. What is the Japanese Government reaction? Will Prime Minister Fukuda send a letter to Mr. Berlusconi?

Mr. Taniguchi: It is very much likely that Mr. Berlusconi is going to be elected as prime minister and form the new Cabinet in Italy. The official statement that I can say from the Japanese Government is that the Japanese Government is all the more keen on working together with Mr. Berlusconi and his Government. Given the importance that Italy shares as a member of the Group of Eight (G8) nations, the role that Italy can play in the G8 framework needs no elaboration. In fact, there has been uncertainty about who actually can come to join the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit meeting in the earlier part of July. Now it is certain that Mr. Berlusconi will be able to come to the G8 Summit. We will be welcoming him. Whether Prime Minister Fukuda is going to send a letter or something to Mr. Berlusconi, I am not sure. That is the simple answer. But Prime Minister Fukuda has either met directly, one-on-one, or sent messages to the leaders of the G8 nations, so I would imagine that Prime Minister Fukuda is going to do similarly with Mr. Berlusconi once he has taken office.

Q: Is that going to be made after Mr. Berlusconi takes office?

Mr. Taniguchi: It will be after Mr. Berlusconi has taken office that Prime Minister Fukuda is going to do that kind of action.

VII. Questions concerning the Russian Federation

Q: Foreign Minister Koumura has completed his four-day visit to the Russian Federation. Can you give us a brief idea of what the results were, and also the preparations towards the summit between Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Putin?

Mr. Taniguchi: The likelihood about the bilateral summit meeting between the Russian Federation and Japan, between President Putin (and his successor) and Prime Minister Fukuda: I think both governments, Russia and Japan, are working hard to schedule the bilateral meeting before the July G8 Summit meetings. How soon? When? Where? When it comes to those details I cannot say at the moment. What about the outcomes, what about the results of the bilateral foreign ministerial meeting between Russia and Japan? Actually, Foreign Minister Koumura is now heading back home. The bilateral foreign ministerial meeting already took place. They spoke for a considerable amount of time about: 1) how to implement the action program that has been agreed already by both nations, and 2) in order to solve the Northern Territory issue, the four islands issue, both governments have to work hard continuously. That was also agreed. In order to create a favorable environment in which both nations can discuss positively and constructively towards the solution of the Northern Territories issue, both nations have agreed to expand cooperation in that area in many respects. I should not go into the details of those areas, but you can see what has happened already. The new initiatives are going to be the extension of those already happening. By the same token, there has been a rather strong demand from members of families that used to be living in those islands that an expanded range of people can visit the former hometowns on those islands. I understand the two foreign ministers also discussed that issue as well. Lastly, one of the notable developments of late between Russia and Japan concerned economic relationships in general, and energy cooperation in particular. They talked about the gas pipeline issue and other energy-related cooperation issues, including nuclear cooperation. So that is just about it.

Q: So if the summit meeting between Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Putin is actually realized, can we expect the same issues to be discussed?

Mr. Taniguchi: To say that it has already been agreed upon is too much for me to say. They are working hard to make it happen. That is the maximum I can say.

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