Press Conference by the Press Secretary 5 February, 1999

1. Third Meeting of the Senior Officials Task Force on the nuclear tests by the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
2. Emergency aid from Japan to the Republic of Colombia for earthquake disaster relief
3. Reported assistance from Japan to the Republic of Indonesia under the new Miyazawa Initiative
4. National elections in the Republic of Indonesia
5. Trade talks between Japan and the Republic of India

1. Third Meeting of the Senior Officials Task Force on the nuclear tests by the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: Good afternoon ladies. First, I would like to make one statement concerning the Third Meeting of the Senior Officials Task Force on the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan. This meeting will be held on 11 February at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Task Force was started following the proposal made by then-Minister for Foreign Affairs Keizo Obuchi at the Group of Eight (G8) ministerial meeting last year with the aim of studying mid- and long-term responses to the nuclear testing conducted by India and Pakistan in May last year. The participants in this meeting comprise director-general or deputy director-general-class officials of the G8 countries (including EU), Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China and Ukraine. From this third meeting, the Republic of Korea also joins this Task Force. The meeting will be chaired by Japan. The meeting will discuss the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172, inter alia, the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This meeting, in which officials from the G8 countries take part, is also expected to provide an opportunity to exchange their views on such issues as the resumption of loans to India by international financial institutions.

   Related Information (Response of the Government of Japan to the Nuclear Tests Conducted by India and Pakistan)
   
2. Emergency aid from Japan to the Republic of Colombia for earthquake disaster relief

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: I would also like to make use of this opportunity to sum-up our emergency aid to Colombia. As I already reported at previous press conferences, the Government of Japan sent a Japan Disaster Relief Team to conduct rescue operations in Colombia which has sustained extensive damage caused by the earthquake on 25 January. This Team, comprising of 36 members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant organizations, finished their rescue operation and returned home yesterday, 4 February. Preceding this homecoming of this Relief Team, on 3 February the Government of Japan decided to extend to Colombia emergency aid of 14.6 million yen to be used to transport about 300,000 portions of hard biscuits donated by Japanese local governments, with a view to assisting the earthquake victims. Summing up the emergency aid by the Government of Japan to Colombia regarding the earthquake, in addition to the sent Rescue Team, it sent another Japan Disaster Relief Team, namely a Medical Team, which is still continuing medical rescue operations in the disaster area. As for financial and material assistance, Japan delivered emergency aid materials worth about 25.65 million yen to the Government of Colombia on 30 January and also signed an exchange of notes on 4 February to extend an emergency grant aid of US$ 400,000. In addition to this, as I explained just now, Japan further decided to bear the transport cost of the hard biscuits from an humanitarian viewpoint.

   Related Information (Japan-Colombia Relations)
   
3. Reported assistance from Japan to the Republic of Indonesia under the new Miyazawa Initiative

   Q: There were some reports in the Nikkei this morning about the size of the Miyazawa Initiative loan to Indonesia of up to US$ 2.4 billion. Could you confirm that? Secondly, how much money has Japan already pledged to Indonesia and has that money been drawn down yet?

   Mr. Okada: Under the present situation of the continuing Asian economic crisis and in light of the very severe or very difficult economic situation in Indonesia, we find it necessary that the international community actively assist Indonesia. Japan, in cooperation with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other donors, and in particular in light of the new Miyazawa Initiative, continues to examine assistance to Indonesia. As for the news report of this morning by the Nikkei newspaper, at this very moment our delegation in Jakarta is consulting with the Government of Indonesia, therefore I would like to refrain from making comments on that. Concerning the Miyazawa Initiative, we certainly received some requests from the Indonesian side and we have been reviewing those requests and examining what we can do and as I told you just now, our consultation is still going on. We are still not in a position to publicly announce what we have decided.

   Q: Do you expect to be able to announce that later on today?

   Mr. Okada: Very soon I think.

   Q: I believe there is a meeting going on today.

   Mr. Okada: The meeting is going on. Please wait for it.

   Q: And the announcement?

   Mr. Okada: I cannot tell you.

   Q: Is the size US$ 2.4 billion?

   Mr. Okada: I cannot tell you. If there is an announcement, please listen to that.

4. National elections in the Republic of Indonesia

   Q: Regarding the national election in Indonesia, will Japan give its support?

   Mr. Okada: As for the general election, which is now foreseen to be held in June this year, we attach very much importance that this general election will be held in a very free and fair manner. Therefore, we are going to hear from the Indonesian side what their needs are. We are going to examine what we can do for that purpose. However as for now, we have not heard that the Indonesian side has already formulated certain programs for that purpose. Therefore, the developed countries have not yet decided whether we are going to assist, for example by sending some supervisory teams and so on. We would like to keep in further contact with the Indonesian side and the relevant countries and the international organizations and we are going to surely examine the possibility of supporting the elections.

   Related Information (Japan-Indonesia Relations)
   
5. Trade talks between Japan and the Republic of India

   Q: Can you please tell us about the trade talks today between the Indian Trade Minister and the Japanese Deputy Minister and what are the specific problems the two officials are discussing and will these talks lead to lifting of sanctions against India?

   Mr. Okada: As I explained last time, the parties concerned are at this moment in discussion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I think the agendas they are discussing concern a wide review of the economy in both countries, bilateral trade and investment relations and international trade issues and so on. The consultation is still going on, therefore I cannot brief you on the result. Please wait for the result.

   Related Information (Japan-India Relations)