(* This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only. The original text is in Japanese.)

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs MACHIMURA Nobutaka

Date: Friday, September 14, 2007, 9:50 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Informal Cabinet Meeting
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Domestic Politics
The Foreign Minister's Thoughts on his Period Serving as Foreign Minister
Participation at the United Nations General Assembly and Other Meetings
Six-Party Talks

1. Informal Cabinet Meeting

Minister:
From 9:00 this morning, an Informal cabinet meeting was held, although the Prime Minister was not present. As for diplomatic issues, we had the matter of the credentials for Ambassador Hiraoka, who will be appointed to the Republic of Uzbekistan and Tajikstan. Furthermore, the members reached agreements on providing approximately US$1.87 million in emergency grant aid assistance for the implementation of Polio vaccinations in the Union of Myanmar, to be made through an emergency grant cooperation to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Those were the matters that were discussed at the meeting. However, in addition to that the Chief Cabinet Secretary proposed that we send our wishes to the Prime Minister for his speedy recovery under the joint signature of all of the cabinet members and agreement was reached on this by all.

Furthermore, we all consent to steadfastly carry out our duties throughout the entire cabinet and across the entire administrative sector, even though the Prime Minister is not with us now. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well, on Wednesday afternoon I immediately gathered the top officials together and explained that even if the prime minister were to change, the work of the administration must continue and called on the top officials of the ministry to thoroughly perform the work at hand.

2. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Question:
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted through a majority vote at the United Nations General Assembly. However, until now the Government of Japan has not recognized the Ainu people as an indigenous people. I expect that pressure will be placed on the Government to change this policy. How do you intend to respond?

Minister:
Regarding this point, just to set the facts straight, at noon local time in New York, this declaration was adopted with 143 votes in favor, 4 votes opposed and 11 abstentions. Japan voted in favor of this declaration and expressed its support for the declaration, after explaining Japan's interpretation of collective rights, the right to self determination and asset rights. It appears that several other countries also expressed their approval after providing similar explanations. Japan has not come to the conclusion that the Ainu people are an indigenous people. One reason is because there has yet to emerge a consensus from international discussions on how to define what exactly is an indigenous people. Furthermore, because there are many ministries and agencies involved and each of them has currently expressed their respective views we are not currently in a position to be able to state as a conclusion that the Ainu people are an indigenous people.

3. Domestic Politics

Question:
It seems that there is a strengthening in the support for former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda to win the presidential election in the Liberal Democratic Party. Do you think that Mr. Fukuda is appropriate to serve as Prime Minister? Please explain whether or not you think he is right for the job.

Minister:
Naturally, I think that he is appropriate.

Question:
I understand that you are going to have a meeting of the factions right after this.

Minister:
In fact it is a meeting of a policy group. The meeting will take place from 11:00 a.m. If we can get the understanding of everyone who comes to that meeting we may as a policy group decide to support Mr. Fukuda as a candidate, but this is still tentative.

4. The Foreign Minister's Thoughts on his Period Serving as Foreign Minister

Question:
Just two weeks after you assumed your post as Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister announced his resignation. I suppose that during such a short period of time, you have not really been able to present to the people the policies that you had in mind to pursue as Foreign Minister.

Minister:
That is correct. The situation is exactly as you have described.

5. Participation at the United Nations General Assembly and Other Meetings

Question:
On 24 September, the United Nations High Level Event on Climate Change will be held and on 25 September, the United Nations General Assembly is to be convened. It appears that it will be very difficult for the schedule to permit the Prime Minister to attend but are you as Foreign Minister, considering attending?

Minister:
One can engage in a variety of mental gymnastics but, and only speaking at the level of mental gymnastics, it may be the case that there is in fact only one candidate. In that event, the appointment of the next president could take place sometime early next week, although there are various possibilities. Right now I am not thinking about my schedule in any fixed manner.

6. Six-Party Talks

Question:
Mr. Wu Dawei, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) stated that coordination is being conducted with a view toward holding the next meeting of the Six-Party Talks from 19 September. Have you as minister, been presented with any possible schedules to coordinate?

Minister:
I am sure that you are aware that yesterday's meeting with Mr. Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of the PRC, Mr. Dawei also attended. Although I did not ask him directly I understand that such a conversation took place with Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Mr. Sasae. I understand that currently the Chinese side has not officially decided from 19 September and has not made any official announcement to the nations concerned.

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