Press Conference by the Press Secretary March 6, 1998

Press conference announcements
1. Visit to Japan by President of the 52nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hennadiy I. Udovenko of Ukraine
  Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sadaaki Numata: Minister for Foreign Affairs Hennadiy I. Udovenko of Ukraine, who is the President of the 52nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, will visit Japan. It has been customary for the Government of Japan to invite the Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly to Japan. Foreign Minister Udovenko will be visiting Japan from Tuesday, 10 March until Thursday, 12 March. He will be meeting leaders from the Government of Japan and others to exchange views on UN affairs in general, including the important topic of the reform of the United Nations. He is also expected to visit the Czech Republic and Malaysia during the course of his trip this time.
2. Visit to Japan by Executive Coordinator Sharon Capeling- Alakija of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
  Spokesman Numata: Executive Coordinator Sharon Capeling- Alakija of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) will visit Japan from Sunday, 8 March to Saturday, 14 March. One part of the program of her visit will be to attend a commemorative seminar to be held under the auspices of the United Nations Volunteers at the Headquarters of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Tuesday, 10 March. This is a seminar to mark the proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly of the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV 2001), which is entitled, "Challenge and Perspective of Partnership in Japan." This seminar will be co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UNV. It is also supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Japan, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). One point about the International Year of Volunteers 2001 which the seminar is commemorating is that the idea of International Year of Volunteers 2001 was proposed by Honorary Ambassador Takahito Nakata of the United Nations Volunteers. You may recall that when the Cambodian conflict was in its final stage, and when Japan was contributing to the restoration of peace in that area, there was a young Japanese UN volunteer who was killed in the course of performing his duty. This volunteer who was killed was the son of Honorary Ambassador Nakata. In light of this background, the Government of Japan took the lead in drawing up the resolution, calling for the International Year of Volunteers 2001, which was unanimously approved at the United Nations General Assembly last autumn. Honorary Ambassador Nakata, the father of the volunteer who was killed, will also attend this seminar.
3. Emergency aid for economic difficulties in, the Republic of Indonesia
  Spokesman Numata: On 20 February, the Government of Japan adopted a plan for helping our neighbors in Southeast Asia in the face of the economic difficulties that they have been faced with. One of the items which was being contemplated at the time was the supply of emergency grant aid to Indonesia, especially with respect to medical supplies, because given the severe effects of the Indonesian currency crisis starting last year, import prices rose sky high, especially in such areas as medical supplies and specifically with respect to medical products and equipment needed for dialysis for kidney patients. I understand that, in some areas of Indonesia, the cost of undergoing this treatment increased by a factor of ten times. Since Indonesia has been totally dependent on imports in this area, there has indeed been a very urgent need to supply these products, ingredients and equipment. It is in light of this that the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency grant aid in the amount of 1.02 billion yen to the Indonesian Government. We will be supplying such items as dialysis filters, dialysis tubes and the liquids required for dialysis treatment. This emergency supply is designed to meet this area of need throughout the whole of Indonesia for the next four months. This grant aid will be used for the purchase of these supplies, equipment, and so forth, as well as for the transport of these items to those actual areas where they are needed.
4. Emergency aid for Thai and Malaysian students studying in Japan
  Spokesman Numata: Given the currency fluctuations in certain countries in Asia, the living costs and fees for Thai and Malaysian students studying in Japan have soared, which has made it very difficult for these students to continue to stay in Japan, or for those who have been selected to come to Japan to actually get here. With respect to Thailand, we are extending emergency grant assistance in the amount of US$950,000, which will enable some 40 Thai students to either continue their studies in Japan or to come to Japan as planned. With respect to Malaysia, we have a larger program under the Look East Policy of the Malaysian Government, which is a very important part of Malaysia's human resources development program. We are extending emergency grant aid in the amount of US$4.24 million, which will enable some 750 students either to come to Japan or to undergo preliminary training in Malaysia prior to coming to Japan.
Transport of aid such as medical equipment and supplies to Indonesia
Q: I would like to make it clear that the emergency aid to Indonesia includes the transport also.

Spokesman Numata: Yes, it does, because the actual transport could present a problem and could be costly. If the dialysis tubes and various types of equipment do not actually get to the areas where they are needed, their significance will be reduced.
Implementation of aid to the Republic of Indonesia
Q: When will this emergency aid to Indonesia be implemented?

Spokesman Numata: I do not think that it will take very long to implement. The equipment and supplies should be available very soon, and are designed to meet the needs in Indonesia for the coming four months. So, the timeframe we have in mind is for the short term. We have our own calculation as to how many dialysis filters, tubes, and so forth are needed. These need to matched and examined in light of the Indonesian data. Therefore, these details remain to be worked out, but we would like to implement them as soon as possible.
Assistance to students studying abroad in Japan
Q: In regard to assistance to Thai and Malaysian students, why did the Government of Japan not mention anything in regard to assistance to Indonesian students? As far as I know, there are thousands of Indonesian students here in Japan.

Spokesman Numata: I realize that, but at the same time, there are two types of cases involving students. First, there are those students who are sent by their governments. Secondly, there are those students who are privately-sponsored or who are self-sponsored. We have conducted a survey with respect to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea concerning the actual difficulties faced by those students, especially those who are sponsored by their respective governments. The findings so far have been that the cases with most acute difficulties seem to lie with the students from these two countries.

Q: Regarding the survey that you mentioned of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, China and the Republic of Korea, could you, if possible, give me the draft or the results of this survey?

Spokesman Numata: I will have to check on that. I have heard of the survey, but I do not know whether the survey itself is in the public domain or not. I will let you know.
Elections in the Republic of India
Q: How does the Government of Japan view the outcome of the recent Indian elections and the possible effects of the election on domestic and foreign affairs?

Spokesman Numata: The final tally is not in quite yet. And until that final tally is in, we are not in a position of prejudging the outcome of the election. With that said, we are watching the results with very close interest. We, of course, hope that no matter what party, or combination of parties, assume the government as a result of this election, that our friendly relations with the Republic India will continue to flourish.
United Nations Security Council resolution dealing with the situation in the Republic of Iraq
Q: Do you think that Japan's sponsorship of the United Nations Security Council resolution concerning Iraq will affect the relationship between Japan and Arab nations?

Spokesman Numata: We do not believe so, because we feel that the Security Council resolution which we co-sponsored with the United Kingdom is in fact a very balanced resolution. This is shown by the fact that it was supported by all those countries in the United Nations Security Council. We, on our part, have always held the view and we still hold the view that diplomatic solution is the best option for resolving the current issue concerning the Republic of Iraq. In making these diplomatic efforts, we worked closely with the United Kingdom. After cosponsoring the resolution, Japan and the United Kingdom talked very intensively with a number of other members in the Security Council -- the United Kingdom with the other four permanent members, as well as European countries and ourselves with other non-permanent members. Our very close consultations on this actually bore fruit. We have managed to come out with this resolution which calls on Iraq to comply with the Memorandum of Understanding which was reached between Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations and the Iraqi Government, which at the same time, sends a warning to Iraq that the full implementation of all of that is essential. This Security Council resolution, we believe, has the right support of the international community. I might mention in that context that after the Security Council resolution was adopted in the Security Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs Evgenii Maksimovich Primakov of the Russian Federation phoned Minister for Foreign Affairs Keizo Obuchi on 3 March to express Russia's appreciation for the very constructive role that Japan has played in this process. One other point that I should mention is that, in co-sponsoring this resolution, our permanent representative made it clear that paragraph 3 -- the operative paragraph of the resolution, which talks about severest consequences, etc. - - is not meant to address the question of so-called automaticity. That is, this paragraph is not meant to say that failure on the part of Iraq to abide by this would automatically mean the use of force. We made that position clear. That position is shared by our co-sponsor, which is the United Kingdom, and a number of other countries.

Q: Is Japan aware of any reservations from any other countries concerning this resolution?

Spokesman Numata: I am not aware of actual reservations expressed in terms of dﾃｩmarches, perhaps with the possible exception of Chargﾃｩ d'affaires Muhsin Miro Ali of the Republic of Iraq to whom Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau had an opportunity to talk with immediately after the resolution was adopted.
Situation in the Kingdom of Cambodia
Q: Could you comment on the ruling on Prince Ranariddh? There has been a concern that the July election may be put off a bit. What do you think about that?

Spokesman Numata: Perhaps this is a chance to take stock of where we are in all of this, and then I will try and answer your question. By taking stock I mean reviewing where we have come since we floated this idea consisting of the four pillars. The four pillars are: 1) the suspension or abandonment of military cooperation between Prince Norodom Ranariddh of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge; 2) the cessation of hostilities; 3) the holding of Prince Ranariddh's trial as soon as possible and the granting of amnesty by the King to the Prince; and 4) the guarantee of Prince Ranariddh's security and safety in Cambodia, and ensuring that Prince Ranariddh is not barred from participating in the election. Regarding the cessation of hostilities, on 27 February, Prince Ranariddh declared his ceasefire. On the same day, the Headquarters of the Cambodian Forces issued an instruction to its troops to cease hostilities. So, I believe we can see that as a step forward. It needs to be verified whether the ceasefire has actually taken place, but the intentions have been expressed by both sides. Next, comes the question of the trials that you mentioned. I understand that there are two trials. One trial is on the question of arms imports by Prince Ranariddh. The trial did take place on 4 March, and there were sentences passed on -- five years imprisonment for Prince Ranariddh and some lesser sentences for his collaborators. We feel that the fact that this trial has taken place is a welcome one. There is another trial which is scheduled for 17 March, which is on this suspicion of collaboration with the Khmer Rouge. We hope that the second trial will be conducted as planned. Then, there is the question of amnesty to be granted by the King. There, there is a question of how the King may be able to grant amnesty, who will have to ask for it, and so forth. But, in that context, we have noted with interest the report from Cambodia that King Norodom Sihanouk of the Kingdom of Cambodia has sent a response to an inquiry by Agence France Presse in which the King apparently said that the royal pardon can be granted by the King if Prince Ranariddh himself, his oldest sister or his wife asks for it in writing, and secondly, if Second Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Co-Premier Ung Huot of the Kingdom of Cambodia give him the okay. Perhaps we need to see developments in this regard, but the first trial having taken place and perhaps this reported reply by King Sihanouk may be an indication that things are moving a little more forward. It is in light of all of this that the Friends of Cambodia group are meeting in Manila today. I might also mention that, way down the line, there is also the question of when Prince Ranariddh needs to be back in Cambodia. Again, there seems to be this change in the election law being contemplated, which would actually start the registration for the voters and for the candidates on 6 May rather than 14 April. This might give Prince Ranariddh a little more breathing time than has been the case before. All these matters we need to still monitor with care. And the Friends of Cambodia which is meeting today will be looking at all these aspects and looking at the question of what further d marches and so forth can be made. But, I feel that, overall, there may be some more positive elements than might have been the case a month or two ago.
Visit to Japan by President of the 52nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Q: When Foreign Minister Udovenko of Ukraine comes to Japan, will he engage in any Japan-Ukraine security dialogue or will he just be discussing UN issues?

Spokesman Numata: Primarily, I believe he will be dealing with questions having to do with the United Nations. But, in the sense that he is also Foreign Minister of Ukraine, I do not see how we can rule out bilateral discussions. I expect that there will be some bilateral discussions, as well.

Q: What will the topics of those discussions be?

Spokesman Numata: They will be bilateral discussions in general. I do not believe that we have any fixed agenda on that.

Q: Will he come as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine or as the President of the United Nations General Assembly?

Spokesman Numata: He will come as President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Access negotiations for accession of the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Q: Can you comment on the report by the Asahi Shimbun that Japan and Russia are starting negotiations concerning accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

Spokesman Numata: When a country or an entity tries to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a new member, there are two tracks of negotiations that have to take place. The one track of negotiation is a collective exercise which takes place within the framework of the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO in this case. This working group drafts and debates what you call the accession protocol for that prospective contracting party, which is the protocol to confirm that that particular prospective contracting party can abide by the rules of the WTO. Also, the working group goes into such questions as the terms and conditions of accession, as well as what is to be done in the transitional period, pending actual accession. So, that is one track. Another track is what is known as the market access negotiations. This is a series of bilateral negotiations between Russia and each contracting party of the WTO. This has to take place between Russia and every single contracting party of the WTO. These bilateral negotiations, access negotiations, will need to take place on goods, which will cover tariffs as well as non-tariff measures, and also services. That is the background against which I am speaking. We attach importance to Russia's engagement in the international community. As such, we feel that it is important for Russia to accede to the WTO and to play a responsible role in this international economic framework. That is why we are supportive of Russia's participation in the WTO, and we are working hard together with other countries towards Russia's early accession. The working group which I mentioned earlier has met a number of times. When they met for the seventh time in December of last year, they recommended that each contracting party actively enter into bilateral access negotiations with Russia on the assumption that the next working group meeting will take place in June or July of this year. We are desirous of starting these bilateral negotiations as soon as possible. We have been waiting for these bilateral negotiations to take place on the basis of actual offers -- on tariff reductions, and so forth. We have had offers from Russia on tariff reductions in mid-February, and we are in the process of coordinating with our Russian counterparts to set the dates for the launching of the bilateral negotiations. We have not set the exact date yet, but perhaps we can do that before the end of this month -- the actual starting of the negotiations.

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