Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 4 February 2010

Dispatch of election observers to the presidential election of Ukraine
Meetings currently underway between Japan and China
Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting
Foreign Minister Okada's visit to the Republic of Korea
VIPs' Visits
Question concerning Foreign Minister Okada's visit to the Republic of Korea
Questions concerning the dispatch of election observers to the presidential election of Ukraine
Question concerning the Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting
Questions concerning the visit to Japan by Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President

Dispatch of election observers to the presidential election of Ukraine

Deputy Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima: Good afternoon gentlemen.

Today I have three topics that I would like to present to you and also some information on visits.

The first one is the dispatch of election observers to the presidential election of Ukraine. This is a run-off election. We have distributed the press release, so you have the information in writing.

The Government of Japan has decided to assign two experts on regional affairs, that is Mr. Masami Ono, editorial writer of the Asahi Shinbun, and Mr. Takeshi Yuasa, senior fellow of the National Institute of Defense Studies, as well as members of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine, as election observers to support fair conduct of the run-off election of the presidential election of Ukraine, which is scheduled for the coming Sunday, February 7. Four of them, including the two experts I mentioned, are to be dispatched to the major international election observation mission organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe / the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), while the other four members are to be registered at the Central Election Commission of Ukraine as observers of the Government of Japan for their relevant monitoring activities.

As we hope for free and fair conduct of the first presidential election since the “Orange Revolution” in Ukraine in 2004, we have decided to dispatch these members. Just for your information, more than 600 observers are to be dispatched from countries including Japan to the International Election Observation Mission of OSCE/ODIHR.

Meetings currently underway between Japan and China

Mr. Sobashima: The second topic is about the meetings currently underway between Japan and China. We don’t have the press releases in English; I will just orally explain the three meetings that are currently underway.

The first one is the first meeting for the negotiation of a treaty between Japan and China on extradition. This meeting is being held from yesterday, Wednesday, February 3, until tomorrow, Friday, February 5, in Tokyo. From the Japanese side, Mr. Kohara, Deputy Director General of the Asian Affairs Bureau of our Ministry is heading the delegation, and representatives also from the National Police Agency and the Ministry of Justice are present. From China, Mr. Guan Jian, Deputy Director of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the head of the delegation, and there are representatives from the relevant departments on the Chinese side as well.

For your information, in 2008 when the Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Japan there was agreement that we start negotiation on the treaty on extradition. As a result we are now having the meeting for the negotiation of this treaty.

The second meeting I would like to mention is the 13th Japan-China Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation. This is being held today in Beijing. To this committee, from the Japanese side Mr. Yoshinori Katori, Ambassador in charge of Science and Technology, and also Mr. Yasutaka Moriguchi, vice minister of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology are the co-chairmen. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications are present on the Japanese side. From the Chinese side, Mr. Cao Jianlin, who is vice minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology will be the head, and the people in charge of science and technology will be present.

In the committee meetings, the introduction of science and technology policies of the two countries are expected to be made to the other side, and also reviewing the current status of cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and technology are expected.

Thirdly, the first meeting of new Japan-China Friendship Committee for the 21st Century. This will be held from Sunday, February 7 until Thursday, February 11 in Beijing and Yangzhou. From the Japanese side, Mr. Nishimuro, the chairman of the board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and other members, eight members in total, and from the Chinese side Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, former state counselor and also former foreign minister, will be heading the delegation, and 12 members are expected to be present.

I mentioned at the beginning this is a new Japan-China Friendship Committee for the 21st Century. The original Japan-China Friendship Committee for the 21st Century was established in 1984, and the committee members had meetings 15 times until 2001. Then we had the new Japan-China Friendship Committee for the 21st Century from 2003 until 2008. In December 2008 they issued a final report entitled something like "Toward strengthening the Japan-China relationship from strategic and mutually beneficial points of view". So the composition of the committee members was reviewed. In November last year in the Japan-China foreign ministers' meeting, the new members were agreed, and last month in the Japan-China foreign ministers' meeting, the schedule for the first meeting was agreed. As a result this meeting will take place from the coming Sunday until the 11th.

These are the three meetings underway that I would like to explain to you.

Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting

Mr. Sobashima: Third is about the Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be holding this fiscal year 2009 Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting today here in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.

The meeting will be co-chaired by the director-general level official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who leads the Japanese delegation consisting of officials from the ministries and agencies concerned, and from the EU side, the deputy director-general of the external relations directorate-general of the European Commission leads the EU delegation consisting of representatives of related departments of the European Commission.

The meeting will discuss regulatory reforms and cooperation between Japan and the EU, with a view to improving the business environment, including investment relations, so that Japan and the EU will flourish with strengthened economic ties.

This will be the 16th dialogue since it started in 1994. I understand that there will be a briefing by the officials concerned at 18:45, so if you are interested in this Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting please attend this briefing as well.

Foreign Minister Okada's visit to the Republic of Korea

Mr. Sobashima: Finally some information on visits. Subject to the situations including the approval of the Diet, Foreign Minister Okada will be visiting the Republic of Korea from Wednesday, February 10, until Thursday, February 11. The only working day is February 11, so it is a short visit, but he will have a foreign ministers' meeting with his counterpart in the Republic of Korea.

VIPs' Visits

Mr. Sobashima: We have announced the visit to Japan of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, from the coming Sunday, February 7, until Wednesday, February 10. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Hatoyama, and he is scheduled to visit Hiroshima as well.

Finally, the president of the Lao People's Republic Mr. Choummaly Sayasone is scheduled to visit Japan from Tuesday, March 2 to Saturday, March 6. These are the visits of VIPs I would like to share today.

Thank you very much for listening. If you have any questions I would like to try to answer them.

Question concerning Foreign Minister Okada's visit to the Republic of Korea

Q: Is there any special topic Foreign Minister Okada would like to discuss with his South Korean counterpart, or is just a regular meeting?

Mr. Sobashima: I will just explain what Foreign Minister Okada himself explained to the Japanese journalists two days ago. He said that he will meet his counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan, and the forthcoming meeting will be the third foreign ministers’ meeting between the two countries. To develop a future-oriented relationship, he looks forward to having the meeting and discussion with his counterpart. And of course, he intends to discuss the cooperation between the two countries, and he intends to discuss also the issue of North Korea. Also he said he would like to exchange views on a wide range of topics. This is what he said, so I would like to refrain from adding to what the Minister actually said.

Questions concerning the dispatch of election observers to the presidential election of Ukraine

Q: I missed some of what you said about the Ukraine elections. You mentioned two experts from the Japanese side. Would you repeat their details?

Mr. Sobashima: Mr. Masami Ono is an editorial writer of the Asahi Shinbun. He is an expert on affairs for the region including Ukraine. The second person I mentioned is Mr. Takeshi Yuasa, a senior fellow of the National Institute of Defense Studies.

Question concerning the Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue Tokyo Meeting

Q: You mentioned about the EU and Japan. This is the 16th dialogue since ...?

Mr. Sobashima: I mentioned that this is the 16th dialogue since it started in 1994.

Questions concerning the visit to Japan by Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President

Q: This visit of the Palestinian President, Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, is starting from the 7th. Until when?

Mr. Sobashima: From the coming Sunday, February 7, until Wednesday, February 10.

Q: So when will the press be able to meet him, the Palestinian President? Will there be a meeting with the press?

Mr. Sobashima: I presume there will be a joint press conference after the meeting with the Prime Minister, and I presume that joint press conference will take place in the Prime Minister's Office.

Q: It will be in the Prime Minister's office on the 7th? I would like to have detailed information so that I may attend that press conference.

Mr. Sobashima: I will check whether the date and time of the press conference has been confirmed and announced, and then come back to you later.

If there are no further questions, thank you very much for coming.

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