Press Conference by the Press Secretary 16 February, 1999

1. Visit of Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation to Japan from 20 to 23 February
2. Visit of Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Robaina Gonzalez of the Republic of Cuba to Japan from 22 to 27 February
3. Visit of President Didier Opertti of the Fifty-Third Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations to Japan from 22 to 27 February
4. Visit of President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen to Japan from 14 to 17 March
5. Reports of the establishment of a free trade zone including Japan and the Republic of Korea

1. Visit of Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation to Japan from 20 to 23 February

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: Good afternoon. First of all, I would like to inform you of a series of visits which will take place shortly. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation will visit Japan from Saturday, 20 February to Tuesday, 23 February. During his stay in Japan, Foreign Minister Ivanov will conduct the Co-chairman's meeting of the Joint Japan-Russian Federation Committee on the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty as well as the 11th round of the Foreign Ministerial consultations. He will also have a series of meetings with leading figures of Japan. The details of his itinerary are now being coordinated through the diplomatic channel.

   Related Information (Japan-Russia Relations)
   
2. Visit of Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Robaina Gonzalez of the Republic of Cuba to Japan from 22 to 27 February

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: The second visit is the visit by Mr. Roberto Robaina Gonzalez, Minister of Foreign Relations of Cuba. Minister Robaina, accompanied by a suite, will visit Japan as a guest of Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura from Monday, 22 February to Saturday, 27 February. During his stay in Japan, Foreign Relations Minister Robaina will meet with Foreign Minister Koumura, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura, Diet members, officials of government-related bodies and people from business and academic circles.

   Related Information (Japan-Cuba Relations)
   
3. Visit of President Didier Opertti of the Fifty-Third Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations to Japan from 22 to 27 February

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: At the same time, Dr. Didier Opertti Badan, President of the Fifty-Third Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, accompanied by Mrs. Opertti and a suite, will visit Japan as a guest of Foreign Minister Koumura from 22 to 27 February. During his stay in Japan, President Opertti will meet Foreign Minister Koumura and other government officials. He is supposed to have an exchange of opinions about the United Nations in general.

   Related Information (Japan and the United Nations)
   
4. Visit of President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen to Japan from 14 to 17 March

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen, accompanied by a suite, will pay an official working visit to Japan from 14 to 17 March. During his stay in Japan, President Saleh will make a State Call on His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. His Majesty the Emperor will host a Court luncheon in honor of President Saleh. The Government of Japan sincerely welcomes the visit of President Saleh, which will further strengthen the friendly relations existing between Japan and the Republic of Yemen.

   Related Information (Japan-Yemen Relations)
   
5. Reports of the establishment of a free trade zone including Japan and the Republic of Korea

   Q: Can you tell us if there is any truth in the report that Japan has proposed to the Republic of Korea a free trade zone agreement, and if the zone is realized, can it be expanded in the future by including other countries such as ASEAN, China and India?

   Mr. Okada: I know that there is an idea to establish a sort of free trade zone including Japan and the Republic of Korea, but that issue is not on the official agenda between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Korea. What we are now talking about is to liberalize much further our investment activities in both countries. Recently, at the visit by Foreign Minister Koumura to Seoul, we agreed to hold a sort of preliminary consultation on the investment treaty. Usually a so-called investment protection treaty prescribes legal conditions such as most favored nation (MFN) treatment and so on but we intended to include much more substance, that means much more concrete measures concerning the liberalization for investments in both countries. We are going to start the consultations shortly.

   Related Information (Japan-Republic of Korea Relations)