Press Conference by the Press Secretary 29 October, 1999

1. On the shooting incident in the Parliament in Armenia
2. World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Ministerial Meeting in Lausanne
3. Visit by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ichita Yamamoto to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
4. Other issues concerning India

1. On the shooting incident in the Parliament in Armenia

   Press Secretary Sadaaki Numata: Good afternoon. I have a comment on the shooting incident in the Parliament in Armenia. On 27 October an armed group opened fire inside the Armenian Parliament, killing leading figures including Parliamentary Speaker Karen Demirchian and Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkissian of Armenia. Such an unpardonable violent act cannot be justified for any reason whatsoever. Japan, which has been promoting diplomacy toward the Silk Road region, takes deep interest in the peace and stability of this region. The occurrence of this kind of incident in Armenia is deplorable and it is a seriously alarming situation. I would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Armenia upon the deaths of Speaker Demirchian, Prime Minister Sarkissian and many other victims. It is indeed a deplorable incident, although the incident itself apparently has been brought to an end.

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2. World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Ministerial Meeting in Lausanne

   My next comment is a brief comment on the Informal Ministerial Meeting which took place in Lausanne in preparation for the Seattle Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Some 25 countries participated in this meeting. Japan was represented by Minister of International Trade and Industry Takashi Fukaya and Senior State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Shozo Azuma. Each of the participants outlined its own position regarding the WTO, so this was primarily an opportunity for the airing of the various positions taken by the respective countries. We, for our part, outlined Japan's position vis-a-vis the new round of WTO negotiations, the outline of which was explained by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to Director-General Mike Moore of the WTO when he was visiting Japan last week. In essence, Japan takes the position that the new round of negotiations should address a variety of issues now facing the WTO, and should address them in a balanced manner in a comprehensive round of negotiations on the basis of a single undertaking. There were some countries which expressed their preference, even in the preparatory stage, to pick and choose limited areas, such as agriculture, and there was an active debate on this subject. For example, there were some countries which argued that agriculture should take precedence over others. After an active debate on this subject, the general consensus emerging out of this Lausanne Ministerial Meeting seemed to be that in the remaining weeks in the lead-up to the Seattle Ministerial Meeting, as the preparation process unfolds in Geneva, the contracting parties should take up one area per day. That is, they should try to address all the relevant issues instead of trying to focus on some limited areas. That, we feel, has been an important development. Of course intensive consultations will go on in the preparations for the Seattle Meeting, and intensive debates will probably take place in Seattle as well. We, on our part, will exert our utmost efforts to see that the Seattle Meeting will achieve a successful outcome.

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3. Visit by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ichita Yamamoto to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

   My next comment is a sort of wrap-up on the visit by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ichita Yamamoto to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. State Secretary Yamamoto visited these two countries from 24-28 October. In India, he met the members of the new Government of India, including External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh of the Republic of India. State Secretary Yamamoto stressed to his Indian counterparts the importance of India's participation in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and in that context, he said that if and when India decides to sign the CTBT we will prepared to review the economic measures that we have taken with respect to India, and that review may include the implementation of new economic cooperation projects. In essence, State Secretary Yamamoto strongly encouraged India to sign the CTBT as soon as possible. The Indian side responded by saying that India's position with respect to the CTBT will not be affected by the refusal by the United States Senate to ratify the Treaty, and that it was the Government of India's intention to forge a consensus within India toward the signing of the CTBT. He also said that they will continue their moratorium on nuclear testing, as well as maintain a scrupulous export control regime on nuclear and missile-related products and continue to participate in the negotiations for what is known as a "cut-off treaty." State Secretary Yamamoto also discussed a whole broad range of bilateral relations between Japan and India, and in that context it was agreed that the two Governments will be coordinating the visit by External Affairs Minister Singh to Japan with a view to realizing the visit in the course of this year. They also agreed to promote bilateral dialogue in such areas as investment, culture, defense, energy and other fields.

   In Pakistan, State Secretary Yamamoto met President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as well as some members of the newly designated National Security Council and the newly designated Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar -- although I do not think he has assumed his post yet -- and conveyed to the Pakistani side Japan's concern about the recent change in Government, which did not take place according to democratic procedures. He urged Pakistan to indicate quickly the procedure for the return to democratic rule, as well as the timing for such a return. State Secretary Yamamoto also urged the Pakistani side in the context of nuclear non-proliferation issues to participate in the CTBT as soon as possible. State Secretary Yamamoto told the Pakistani side that if and when there is concrete progress toward the return to democratic rule, and Pakistan decides to sign the CTBT, we will be prepared to review the economic measures that we have taken vis-a-vis Pakistan, and that review may include the implementation of new economic cooperation projects. The Pakistani side responded by saying that it was their intention to move forward toward the establishment of real democracy. With respect to nuclear non-proliferation issues, they indicated the posture to continue to exercise restraint with respect to nuclear weapons and missile development, and also to grapple with the question of the CTBT in a positive manner.

   We feel that this visit by State Secretary Yamamoto, taking place soon after the birth of the new Government of India and the military coup d'etat in Pakistan, as well as the United States Senate rejection of the ratification of the CTBT, was indeed timely in the sense of conveying very clearly to both India and Pakistan our concerns as well as our interests to encourage these two countries to move forward in a positive manner on the sort of questions I have just mentioned.

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4. Other issues concerning India

   Q: Is Mr Yamamoto satisfied with what he was told about India's plan for the CTBT?

   Mr. Numata: I said we detected a forward-looking or positive posture on the part of India, but at the same time, we obviously would like to see a clearer indication by India about the signing of the CTBT. The Indian response was that they will work to forge the domestic consensus for the signing of the CTBT. We certainly hope that that consensus will be formed as quickly as possible so that it will become possible for India to sign and ratify the CTBT.

   Q: How soon can we expect the visit from Indian Foreign Minister Singh?

   Mr. Numata: We are trying to coordinate the visit with a view to realizing this sometime in the course of this year, perhaps next month. We do not have too many months left.

   Related Information (Japan-India Relations)