Press Conference, 8 January 2009

Statement on the deteriorating situation in and around the Gaza Strip
Visit by Prime Minister Aso to the Republic of Korea
Visit to Japan by Prime Minister Cowen of the Republic of Ireland
Questions regarding the deteriorating situation in and around the Gaza Strip
Questions concerning the Japan-China Strategic Dialogue
Questions concerning the release of a Japanese national abducted in Ethiopia

I. Statement on the deteriorating situation in and around the Gaza Strip

Deputy Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura: Happy New Year to you, and good afternoon.

I have a few announcements to start with.

First, Japan is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in and around the Gaza Strip. Japan strongly urges both sides, Israel and Palestinian militants, to immediately halt the use of force and make a durable ceasefire agreement.

Prime Minister Aso discussed with Prime Minister Olmert of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas, respectively, and urged both sides to make an immediate ceasefire.

I would like to express my profound sorrow for those who perished, deep condolences to the bereaved families of innocent Palestinians, and heartfelt sympathy to those injured in the series of attacks. In order to cope with the urgent need to help the residents of the Gaza Strip, Japan decided to provide US$10 million level emergency humanitarian assistance to them.

II. Visit by Prime Minister Aso to the Republic of Korea

Mr. Kawamura: Second, this weekend, Prime Minister Aso will visit the Republic of Korea from Sunday, 11th to Monday, the 12th. We hope that this visit will contribute to further solidifying the matured partnership between Japan and the ROK.

III. Visit to Japan by Prime Minister Cowen of the Republic of Ireland

Mr. Kawamura: Third and last, we sincerely welcome Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen. The Prime Minister will visit Japan from Monday, the 12th, to Saturday, the 17th, for about a week. His Majesty the Emperor of Japan will receive the audience of Prime Minister Cowen, and Prime Minister Aso will also hold a meeting with Prime Minister Cowen. The Irish Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a speech on foreign policy at Keio University during his stay.

That's all for the statements. Now, I would now like to invite your questions, please.

Related Information (Press Release)

IV. Questions regarding the deteriorating situation in and around the Gaza Strip

Q: Regarding the Gaza situation, is Japan involved in the Egyptian initiative now being planned?

Mr. Kawamura: First of all, there are several initiatives taken by several countries -- some of them are the United Nations Security Council members, and some of them are non-members. Those ongoing initiatives are seen on various fronts. Japan's position is that we would like to see a reasonable agreement, especially in which both sides, Israel and Palestinian militants, reach a durable ceasefire commitment.

In the context of the United Nations, Japan is a member of the Security Council since January of this year. So we would like to contribute to reaching a kind of unified view of the United Nations on the situation in and around the Gaza Strip.

Q: When Prime Minister Aso talked with the Israeli Prime Minister, according to news reports, Mr. Aso's plea for a ceasefire was flatly rejected, basically. Do you think there is anything that could be ...

Mr. Kawamura: It could be a matter of terminology, whether the talks were productive or not, or whether the request is taken or not. But my understanding is that Prime Minister Aso urged the Israeli Prime Minister to halt the military actions and make a ceasefire agreement immediately. Prime Minister Aso also conveyed the deep sorrow and concern of the Japanese Government and people concerning the situation in the Gaza Strip. So the telephone conversation is part of Japan's initiatives in its efforts together with the whole international community seeking to find an agreeable solution to the Gaza problem. We are in the middle of the tenacious efforts, and we will continue to make serious efforts for those two parties to cease fire.

Q: Thank you.

V. Questions concerning the Japan-China Strategic Dialogue

Q: Tomorrow, I understand that Vice Minister Yabunaka will be meeting his Chinese counterpart for a strategic dialogue. Can you give us more details on the purpose of this meeting, the agenda, and Japan's expectations?

Mr. Kawamura: Tomorrow's meeting between the two countries, Japan and China, is the eighth round of talks. Last year, we held the same talks. This year the two sides are expected to discuss, broadly, bilateral issues as well as international issues. Taking into consideration the recent developments of the two countries' close contacts, especially on the summit leader level -- based upon that good cooperative foundation, we are encouraged to further the bilateral relations.

Q: Will Yabunaka-san lodge another protest with regard to China's continued activities in the disputed gas fields in the East China Sea?

Mr. Kawamura: At this moment, I cannot prejudge the issues to be discussed in tomorrow's meeting. But it will be no wonder if both sides discuss something related to the issues in the East China Sea.

Q: Will they be discussing the plans for senior officials' or leaders' mutual visits this year, to Japan and to China?

Mr. Kawamura: I think so, but let me double check, and if that is coming up in the agenda, I will let you know.

Q: Will there be a press briefing or a press release after the Dialogue?

Mr. Kawamura: We will have something for you. Let me check and get back to you.

Related Information (Press Release)

VI. Questions concerning the release of a Japanese national abducted in Ethiopia

Q: Regarding the release of the Japanese national abducted in Ethiopia, earlier this morning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it received information around 21:00, Japan time, from the embassy in Kenya. The Ambassador confirmed her safety around 23:30, Japan time. Why did it take more than six hours before the Ministry actually announced it to the public here in Japan?

Mr. Kawamura: Well, I don't have the detailed background information to reply to your question, so I will get back to you after researching it.

Q: In the morning press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura mentioned the need to prevent recurrence of similar abductions, given the recent increases in abductions and kidnappings of foreign nationals. What kind of measures does the Foreign Ministry have in mind?

Mr. Kawamura: It needs to be a thorough review of the process why this took place and why it could not have been prevented. The discussions will start shortly, but at this particular moment we have not consumed all the considerations and studies. Within that limitation, I could say one possible item to be examined would be how to communicate with Japanese tourists who might be interested in visiting potentially dangerous areas. For this case, we issued a series of travel alerts to the visitors, but we could not prevent it. So this could be an area for further study. But the essence is an approach on a case-by-case basis: we may come up with "one fits for all" solution for various situations.

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