Press Conference by the Press Secretary 1 October, 1999

1. Announcements on emergency assistance to Kosovo
2. Emergency grant assistance for Taiwan
3. Visit to Japan by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat Lengsavad of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
4. Assistance from other countries for the nuclear accident in Tokaimura
5. The Headquarters created after the nuclear accident in Tokaimura
6. The role of Japan in East Timor

1. Announcements on emergency assistance to Kosovo

   Deputy Press Secretary Chikahito Harada: Good afternoon. I have been away from Japan for one month on a business trip. I was in the Kyrgyz Republic. I am glad to attend this conference again. Let me begin by making three announcements. The first is on emergency assistance for returnees and others in Kosovo. On 1 October the Government of Japan decided to contribute emergency grant aid to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)Trust Fund in the amount of US$7 million, or 840 million yen, and to four Japanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing assistance in Kosovo, in the amount of US$1.18 million or about 140 million yen, to assist people who have returned to Kosovo and others to survive the winter. This is part of the US$100 million assistance which the Government of Japan announced on 27 April for the rehabilitation of Kosovo and assistance for the returning refugees.

   The contribution to the UNMIK Trust Fund will be used for the project to rehabilitate housing, about 2,500 houses, to be formulated and implemented by the UNMIK for the villages in Drenica region in central Kosovo. Japanese NGOs and Japanese United Nations Volunteers (UNV) will cooperate with the UNMIK in monitoring the progress of the project. The contribution to assist the Japanese NGOs was decided on in response to the request by the NGOs undertaking such activities as the rehabilitation of medical facilities in Pec in Western Kosovo and the neighbouring areas. This will be the first case in which assistance will be extended to Japanese NGOs under the assistance measures for emergency humanitarian activities of Japanese NGOs announced on 24 August.

   In Kosovo, the real winter sets from late October, and as a large number of people returning to Kosovo as well as people whose houses were destroyed during the ethnic conflict and are now forced to live under tents are about to enter winter, winterization measures such as rehabilitation of housing have become an urgent task for the international community.

2. Emergency grant assistance for Taiwan

   Mr. Harada: My second announcement is about the earthquake in Taiwan. On 21 September, Tuesday of last week, we announced emergency grant assistance of US$500,000 to be extended through our non-governmental organization to its counterpart in Taiwan. Since about 13,000 houses were destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake there, in addition to the assistance that I mentioned, we have decided to provide prefabricated houses to the sufferers of the earthquake. These prefabricated houses were used after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The cost, including transportation of these houses, will amount to about 250 million yen, which will also be borne by the Government of Japan as emergency assistance.

   Related Information (Earthquake in Taiwan)
   
3. Visit to Japan by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat Lengsavad of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

   Mr. Harada: My third announcement concerns the visit to Japan of Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat Lengsavad of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Vice Prime Minister Somsavat, together with Mrs. Somsavat and a suite, will visit Japan from 3 - 7 October as Guest of the Foreign Minister. During his stay in Japan, Vice Prime Minister Somsavat will have talks with the Japanese Foreign Minister to exchange views on bilateral relations, as well as various international issues of mutual concern. Vice Prime Minister Somsavat and Mrs. Somsavat will be received by Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino. Vice Prime Minister Somsavat will also have opportunities to talk with Japanese parliamentarians.

   This is the first official ministerial visit between Japan and Laos since the official visit to Japan of the then Prime Minister Siphandon Khamtai who is now the President of Laos and also since Laos joined the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997. I may add that Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino made the first Imperial Family visit to Laos in July this year. We believe that the forthcoming visit by Vice Prime Minister Somsavat will further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

   Related Information (Japan-Laos Relations)
   
4. Assistance from other countries for the nuclear accident in Tokaimura

   Q: I was wondering if you could recap exactly what type of assistance that Japan has agreed to accept from the United States vis-a-vis the accident at the nuclear plant. I understand that one item was the robots that go inside the facility to test it. Can you tell specifically me what Japan has thus far agreed to accept from the United States?

   Mr. Harada: On the accident at the conversion testing facility of the private company JCO Co. in Tokaimura, first I would like to explain the measures that the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs took after the accident. Soon after the accident happened, we requested through our embassies to the governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Kingdom of Belgium to provide information about how they tackled similar accidents in the past. We also requested that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to provide relevant data or materials of similar accidents. In response to that, the United States and also Russia promptly responded and expressed their willingness and readiness to provide their cooperation. I think that President William Clinton himself made that statement, which the Government of Japan appreciates very much. As far as I know, so far we have not officially received such a concrete offer of assistance from the United States as you mentioned. If we receive that sort of offer, we will study it in close consultation with the Agency of Science and Technology and other relevant authorities.

5. The Headquarters created after the nuclear accident in Tokaimura

   Q: Can you please be specific about the government task force that was created immediately afterwards? Can you tell me a little bit about who was included in this task force, how big it was, and who was immediately contacted after the accident?

   Mr. Harada: The Headquarters to tackle this accident was established immediately. The head is Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and almost all of the Ministers and the Directors General of agencies are included as members of this Headquarters.

   Q: So, is that the Agency of Science and Technology and others that are involved?

   Mr. Harada: Besides the Director-General of the Agency of Science and Technology, almost all of the ministers are members, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Defense Agency, and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

6. The role of Japan in East Timor

   Q: Japan is America's closest ally, immediate ally in Asia, but it is Australia that has taken leadership in the East Timor action. Japan is no where to be found there. If Australia is a deputy to America in Asia, what is Japan, and can Tokyo be a second deputy?

   Mr. Harada: I think that you asked that question with regard to the multinational forces in East Timor, bearing in mind the so-called Howard Doctrine. You are right in saying that Japan is the closest ally of the United States in Asia, there is no doubt about that. As far as the so-called Howard Doctrine is concerned, our understanding is that the article which conveyed that Doctrine does not reflect correctly the intention and idea of Prime Minister John Howard of the Commonwealth of Australia. He himself officially corrected that. He has made it clear that Australia does not have any intention to play the role of the deputy of the United States, and that term "deputy of the United States" was not used by Prime Minister Howard, but was used by the journalist who wrote the article.

   Coming to East Timor, firstly on the role of Australia, we highly regard the role and initiative which the Government of Australia has played and is playing. As to Japan's contribution to the multinational forces, at this press conference it has been repeatedly explained that Japan is prepared to make a substantial financial contribution to the multinational forces with a view to facilitating the participation of some of the developing countries which may feel that they would like to participate, although they might be financially hampered. In order to make that financial contribution, it is necessary for us to have some idea of the total magnitude of the operation for the financial plans, namely how much it costs. We are actively gathering information in that regard to help us come to a judgement on that and we have been in touch intensively with the countries concerned, including Australia and also the United Nations. However, I think that we still need some more time to come to a final decision on that.

   Q: Even under the present constitution, Japan sent the SDF and a police contingent to Cambodia. Why can Japan not do the same for East Timor? Why is Japan trying to make cash contributions instead of sending peacekeepers to East Timor? Is it because Jakarta would not like it?

   Mr. Harada: The simple answer is no, not for that reason. The case in East Timor is completely different from that in Cambodia. You are asking about the possibility of Japan's participating in the multinational forces that does not fit into the legal framework that we have under the International Peace Cooperation Law. So, legally we are unable to take part in the forces.

   Related Information (Timor-Leste Situation (Archives))