Top > Announcement > Press Conference by Foreign Minister > June 14, 2011

(* 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 Takeaki Matsumoto

Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 5:23 p.m.
Place: MOFA Press Conference Room

Main topics:

  1. Opening Remarks
    • (1) Visit to Japan by Hon. Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
  2. Japan-North Korea Relations
  3. Deployment of Osprey aircraft in Okinawa
  4. Domestic Political Situation (Omitted)

1. Opening Remarks

(1) Visit to Japan by Hon. Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands

Minister Matsumoto: Hon. Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, and Mrs. Akaiti Puna will visit Japan from June 15 to 19 as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government of Japan gave state recognition to the Cook Islands this March. On this　occasion, letters will be exchanged to establish diplomatic relations between Japan and the Cook Islands. Furthermore, Prime Minister Puna will hold talks with Prime Minister Kan and exchange views about the reinforcement of the bilateral ties between Japan and the Cook Islands following the establishment of the diplomatic relations, and the cooperation on the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, which will be held in Okinawa in May next year. Prime Minister Puna is expected to meet Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. Makiko Kikuta as well.

2. Japan-North Korea Relations

Oshima, Asahi Shimbun: I have a question about Japan-North Korea relations. I am aware that ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs and the representative to the six-party talks Wi Sung-lac is now visiting MOFA. From the Japan-ROK foreign ministerial talks et cetera held in the past, I understand that Japan and South Korea have confirmed the policies that a North-South dialog should take place first, followed by North Korea's concrete actions toward the denuclearization of North Korea before restarting the six-party talks. Please tell us if the policies remain unchanged and Japan and South Korea will continue working together on these policies.

Minister: We cannot overlook North Korea's provocations last year. Considering them and North Korea's other deeds in the past, Japan, the United States, and South Korea have been standing in the position that the North-South talks should be prioritized. This stance remains unchanged. In this respect, we understand that the linkage among Japan, the United States, and South Korea has been continuously firm.

Saito, Kyodo News: I understand that the Government of Japan has been insisting on the comprehensive settlement of the abduction, nuclear, and missile issues. I would like to confirm the definition of the comprehensive settlement again. Does comprehensive settlement mean that the abduction, nuclear, and missile issues should be totally solved, while the historical issues between Japan and North Korea are settled simultaneously? Do you mean such a simultaneous solution, or is there a different framework for the comprehensive settlement? If this respect, will you explain what image you have in your mind?

Minister: I think there are various discussions over the sequence of matters, and since the issue is about negotiation I cannot explain Japan's stance simply. Although there have been many discussions in the past,  the Pyongyang Declaration is one of the bases of Japan's stance, and it is our understanding that the abduction, missile, and nuclear issues should be solved, while we would proceed with normalization of the diplomatic relations between the countries. With regard to your question, we have been reiterating that these issues must be solved comprehensively, beyond which we establish new Japan-North Korea  relations. In our understanding, the comprehensive solution refers to what I have mentioned.

3. Deployment of Osprey aircraft in Okinawa

Akashi, Kyodo News: I have a question about the Osprey deployment. With regard to the U.S. deployment of the Osprey in Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, you stated at the  House of Councilors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today that you were aware of the renewal of environmental assessments in Hawaii implemented by the Government of the United States with reference to the Osprey deployment plan of the United States. With consideration of this, I would like to confirm if you think it necessary to implement environmental assessments at Futenma Air Station or renew the environmental assessments at Henoko, which is expected as substituting facilities. Please tell us about it with the reason.
　
Minister: It is my understanding that  environmental impact assessments implemented in any country are based on the laws and regulations of the country. In that sense, no Japanese systems require the implementation of environmental impact assessments for the aircraft model changes at Futenma. Furthermore, as far as we understand, there are no systems to implement environmental impact assessments from scratch on substituting facilities. In my understanding, a survey on environmental assessments was implemented in Hawaii as necessary procedures in accordance with the U.S. legal system.

Matsudo, Ryukyu Shimpo: With regard to the Osprey deployment, I remember that you said at the  House of Councilors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today that the matter was not subject to prior consultation under Article 6 of the US-Japan Security Treaty. Please tell us if there is any concrete agreement with the United States on matters subject to prior consultation. If your answer is yes, will you tell us when and where you made such an agreement and what items have been concretely decided as matters subject to prior consultation?

Minister: My understanding on matters subject to prior consultation is the same as what I answered today at the House of Councilors. There are three points that are considered matters subject to prior consultation, which are the deployment of U.S. forces in Japan, the  military equipment, and the use of areas and bases in Japan for combat not falling under Article 5. With regard to the deployment and equipment, though I do not have details at hand and I cannot  exactly, but in my understanding, both countries have agreed that a change in the deployment of U.S. forces subject to prior consultation refers to a change in scale as large as a military division, for instance.

Saito, Kyodo News: With regard to the Osprey deployment in Hawaii, as you said, the United States has its domestic laws applicable. Japanese laws apply in the case of Japan as a matter of course. From the viewpoint of Okinawan people, however, it is possible to think that the United States established the domestic law as it was required. They may well think that the law exists because there is an American concept that the deployment of the Osprey requires environmental assessments. That is, the law exists for the need of the assessments. Then there is no wonder that the Okinawans think that they are under the same conditions. In that respect, the Government of Japan might consider their feelings. What do you think of this?

Minister: I talked about a survey on environmental impact assessments. I meant that the survey conducted in accordance with the legal requirement would be different under different laws of each country. If your question pointed out the necessity of collecting precise information including the outcome and explaining the same, I quite agree to it.
There were time limitations at the  House of Councilors Committee today and I could not make a detailed explanation about the Osprey deployment, but we have been saying in the past that the Government of Japan understood that the so-called U.S. Marine Corps' flight program included the gradual replacement of helicopters. The Deputy Press Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense mentioned the replacement of the existing model, and we took it as a scheduled replacement.
In this connection, we would like to collect information as much as possible. As Defense Minister Kitazawa has already explained, we heard from the U.S. side that the Osprey replaces the old model, which would not necessarily result in an increase in noise, and with an improvement in flight safety compared with the aged helicopters. As we sent MOFA officials to the Station the other day, we would like to explain the Okinawa side that we will inform Okinawa of what we confirm directly with the Station along with as much information as possible including noise and incidents and attached conditions that the deployment may involve.

4. Domestic Political Situation (Omitted)

Domestic Political Situation (Omitted)

Back to Index