Press Conference by the Press Secretary April 7, 1998

1. Results of ASEM II Meeting in London attended by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
2. Highlights of the visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs Keizo Obuchi to Bosnia and Herzegovina
3. Ratification by the United Kingdom and the French Republic of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
4. Upcoming visit to Japan by President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation
5. Seminars on tourism promotion and desalination technology and water resources management in support of the Middle East peace process
6. Missile testing by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

1. Results of ASEM II Meeting in London attended by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto

   Mr. Numata: Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto attended the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM)II in London. Let me comment on our general impressions of the ASEM II Meeting which consist of four points. Firstly, we feel that it is significant that in this meeting there was a convergence of views between Asia and Europe on the need for Asia and Europe to work together to overcome the current economic difficulties faced by certain Asian countries. There was a strong reaffirmation of Asian determination to tide over these difficulties on the basis of the agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also a strong reaffirmation of the deep interest that Europe has in this situation as well as its willingness to participate fully in international efforts to overcome these difficulties on the part of certain Asian countries. Secondly, Prime Minister Hashimoto exercised effective leadership in the proceedings of this ASEM II Meeting. For example, he took the leadership in explaining the common position of Asia with respect to the single currency in Europe which is to start in January 1999. In so doing, he outlined the importance of the euro as perceived by Asia as a key currency and the importance that Asian countries attach to the euro, in the sense of their desire to see a transparent process and of their seeing the whole European integration process being open to the outside world. He also was active in terms of acting as a bridge between Asia and Europe. One area in which he did so was to support the desire on the part of President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea that business missions be dispatched from ASEM, including those of the European members to the Republic of Korea. I might note in this context that Japan has been acting as one of the two Asian coordinators for the ASEM II Meeting. The other coordinator was the Kingdom of Thailand. I think we have worked actively in that capacity. Thirdly, there was fruitful political dialogue in the Meeting on such issues as the former Yugoslavia, that is the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, the Kingdom of Cambodia as well as on the question of the enlargement of the European Union (EU) and the Korean Peninsula. This indicates that the ASEM process has moved one step forward in terms of promoting political dialogue which has been conceived as an evolutionary process. Fourthly, there was no conclusion reached on the question of new members, but on this subject Japan has been consistently supporting the participation of Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The subject remains pending. The Foreign Ministers and Senior Officials are to discuss this question further with a view to reaching a conclusion on the occasion of the ASEM III Meeting in the year 2000.

2. Highlights of the visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs Keizo Obuchi to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

   Mr. Numata: Foreign Minister Obuchi was also in London for the Ministerial part of the ASEM II Meeting and then proceeded to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let me give you the highlights of his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Sarajevo he met the Chair of the Presidency Alija Izetbegovic of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Co-Chairman of the Council of Ministers Haris Siladjdzic of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also met President Biljana Plasvic of the Republic of Srpska and Prime Minister Milorad Dodik of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka. He also met and exchanged opinions with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ms. Sadako Ogata and High Representative Carlos Westendorp on this occasion. During the meeting with the leaders, Foreign Minister Obuchi expressed that this year is crucial for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and encouraged them to promote peace implementation, especially in the management of common institutions, return of refugees and the election scheduled for September 1998. This year is crucial in the sense that the election taking place in September is an important step in overcoming ethnic strife and moving forward towards democracy. It is also crucial in the sense of making progress as far as the question of the return of refugees is concerned. Foreign Minister Obuchi also attended the hand-over ceremony of Japan's completed grant aid projects which were signed on 28 March 1997. The first is the project for Rehabilitation of Main Transmission Lines which cut across the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and this is a project that we have been implementing in collaboration with the Government of the United Kingdom as well as the Government of Canada. This project cost about US $24 million. The second project is a project for Rehabilitation of Public Transportation System in Sarajevo costing about US $7.2 million. The third is the grant aid for the Increase of Food Production in the amount of US $3.8 million. Towards the end of 1996, Japan pledged that it was ready to contribute about US $500 million in the four years starting from 1996 for the purpose of helping the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, out of which more than US $200 million has been dispersed. Our intention is to continue with these efforts and Foreign Minister Obuchi announced on the occasion of this visit that Japan would send a mission to discuss policies on Japan's support to Bosnia and Herzegovina as soon as possible. The mission will look into possible grant aid and technical cooperation to the area. Japan has also been making contributions in terms of personnel and financial contributions to the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am referring to the national election which took place in September 1996 and the municipal elections in 1997. In addition to these, Foreign Minister Obuchi announced that Japan would make personnel contributions for the elections to be held in September in terms of sending election monitors and observers. In February, Japan opened a liaison office in Sarajevo to promote relations with this region in various aspects. I have so far talked about grant aid, technical cooperation and the dispatching of personnel. The third area of Japan's contribution is in the area of humanitarian issues such as antipersonnel land mines and refugees. On this occasion, Foreign Minister Obuchi announced that Japan will contribute US $1 million in an outset fund to establish a Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center. He also said that Japan is ready to send a study mission to assess the future of Japan's contribution through bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA). He took a first-hand look at mine-clearance operations carried out near Sarajevo and met Japanese Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) members who are engaged in various activities there. With respect to the refugees, Foreign Minister Obuchi reiterated the Government of Japan's support for the idea advanced by High Commissioner Ogata of an Open-City initiative and encouraged the leaders to accept the Open-City initiative for both Sarajevo and Banja Luka by declaring the city open for refugees from other areas. This is designed especially to help the plight of minorities who may be suffering from the problem of finding a place to settle. Foreign Minister Obuchi announced that Japan would contribute through the UNHCR US $10 million to support the Open-City initiative. Finally, one other form of contribution that Japan can make is human resources development. In that respect, Foreign Minister Obuchi announced that Japan will invite up to 100 trainees in three years from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Japan. He also said that Japan will provide Japanese television animation programs through Open Broadcast Network in order to give dreams and hopes to the children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I gather that these animated films would be suitably dubbed.

3. Ratification by the United Kingdom and the French Republic of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

   Mr. Numata: On 6 April the United Kingdom and the French Republic ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). In our view, the CTBT constitutes an historic first step towards a world free of nuclear weapons. It is a treaty which bans all kinds of nuclear testing, including underground testing. The banning of all kinds of nuclear testing is something that Japan has desired for many years. The Japanese Government warmly welcomes the ratification of this treaty by the two nuclear weapons states, the United Kingdom and France. Japan strongly hopes that this treaty will be signed and ratified by all the countries concerned. In particular, we strongly hope that those countries which have expressed opposition to this treaty reconsider their position from the lofty perspective of promoting nuclear disarmament and become parties to the treaty at an early opportunity so that the treaty can come into force as quickly as possible.

4. Upcoming visit to Japan by President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation

   Q: What is the latest on President Yeltsin's visit? What is the schedule and location? Some Japanese newspapers have quoted 20 April as the arrival date.

   Mr. Numata: We are indeed looking forward to welcoming President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation to Japan. The dates that we have in mind are 18 or 19 April. We are discussing the details of the visit with these two dates in mind. We have not really pinned down the actual time of arrival and departure. We are in the process of pinning down the details, but they are still being worked out. We are strongly hopeful that with the understanding and cooperation of the people in the area, we will be able to hold the meeting in Kawana which was the original plan. We are very actively working on that possibility. As soon as we work it out we will be in touch with the Russian side.

5. Seminars on tourism promotion and desalination technology and water resources management in support of the Middle East peace process

   Q: According to some official information from the Foreign Ministry, Japan has sponsored two seminars related to the Middle East. The first one ended last Sunday and covered water desalination technologies. The second one concerns tourism promotion. Could you tell us about the results and participants?

   Mr. Numata: Before I discuss the results and participants, I will give the context in which these seminars is taking place. After the Madrid Conference in 1991, the bilateral peace negotiations started on three tracks. The three tracks refer to the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese tracks. In January 1992 the Moscow Conference launched the multilateral negotiations with a view to nurturing an environment which would be conducive to peace. Japan is not a direct party to the bilateral negotiations on the three tracks, but Japan has been keenly interested in making its contribution to the Middle East peace process in general. That is why we have been actively participating in these multilateral negotiations. We are one of the Co-chair nations with the United States of America, Russia, Canada and the EU. We have been chairing the Working Group on the Environment. We have been acting as the Vice-Chair of the Economic Development and Water Resources Working Group. Both the bilateral and multilateral peace negotiations have not been very active for the past two years, and we have felt that we need to get the momentum going. With that in mind, we have been hosting a number of seminars in that general framework. The desalination technology seminar, which took place from 22 March-5 April and the tourism promotion seminar which is taking place from 30 March-30 April are examples of such efforts on our part. The Desalination Technology and Water Resources Management Seminar is intended to contribute to the effective water resources development of the Middle East region. This is a part of a series of cooperative actions by the Government of Japan to support the activities of the Middle East Desalination Center which has been established in the Water Resources Working Group of the multilateral negotiations that I referred to earlier. The objective of this training program is to provide information on Japan's water desalination technology and water resources management through lectures, observations and discussion. This is the second opportunity for the Japanese Government to hold such a training program. The first program took place in February 1996. The ten participants included one participant each from the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, the State of Bahrain, the State of Israel, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Sultanate of Oman, the Palestinian Authority, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Tunisia, the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Yemen. The tourism promotion seminar is designed to contribute to the effective tourism development in the Middle East region. This is a part of the effort to support the activities of the Middle East-Mediterranean Travel and Tourism Association which was established following the tourism workshop of the Regional Economic Development Working Group of the multilateral talks. Again, the objective is to provide Japan's knowhow on tourism promotion through lectures, observations, tours and discussions. The nine participants included one participant each from the Republic of Cyprus, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malta, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Turkey. The seminar is still going on.

6. Missile testing by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

   Q: Do you have any comment on Pakistani missile reported yesterday?

   Mr. Numata: I have no comment to make on that matter today.