Press Conference 31 October 2000

1. Visit to Japan by President Mohammad Khatami of the Islamic Republic of Iran
2. Visit to the Russian Federation by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono
3. Visit to Japan by Vice Chancellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer of the Federal German Republic
4. The eleventh round of talks between Japan and North Korea on the normalization of diplomatic relations
5. Follow-up question on Japan-Russia relations
6. Questions on normalization talks between Japan and North Korea
7. The position of the Government of Japan on a possible visit to North Korea by President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America
8. Questions on recent diplomatic activity undertaken by the Government of Japan
9. Questions on Japan-Iran relations
10. Other questions

1. Visit to Japan by President Mohammad Khatami of the Islamic Republic of Iran

   Press Secretary Ryuichiro Yamazaki: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I have several announcements at the outset that I would like to go over one by one.

   My first announcement is on the official visit by President Mohammad Khatami of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Japan. President Khatami arrived in Japan earlier today. This official visit by President Khatami is something very important to Japan, to build upon the already good bilateral relations with Iran. We wholeheartedly welcome President Khatami to Japan.

   This visit is taking place against the background of various initiatives undertaken by President Khatami for the reform and democratization of Iran, as well as to expand dialogue and ease the tensions with the international community at large. All these efforts have a very positive effect for attaining peace and stability in the region, and in the international community at large, and this is why Japan supports President Khatami's efforts.

   This visit by President Khatami marks a pinnacle to the already good relations existing between our two countries. With a very intensive schedule in Japan, we hope that President Khatami can advance the image of the new Iran that he is shaping, and thereby deepen the feeling of friendship and cooperation between both our countries and our peoples so that we can work together toward building an even deeper relationship into the 21st century.

   I think you are aware of the schedule of President Khatami's visit. President Khatami will be giving an address to the Lower House on the afternoon of 1 November. At the meeting between Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and President Khatami, in addition to bilateral relations the leaders will also discuss international issues of mutual interest. I hope to be able to give a briefing on that meeting later tomorrow evening here in the same room.

   Related Information (Visit to Japan of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran)
   
2. Visit to the Russian Federation by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono

   Mr. Yamazaki: My second announcement is on the upcoming visit to the Russian Federation by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono. Foreign Minister Kono will depart for Moscow tomorrow evening and spend 2 and 3 November in Moscow before returning to Japan on 4 November.

   Foreign Minister Kono will have meetings with his counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov, and also pay his respects to President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, as well as hold talks with Deputy Premier Viktor Borisovich Khristenko. Deputy Premier Khristenko is dealing with the trade and economic side of our relationship.

   This September President Putin made a very important visit to Japan, and as a follow-up to that we hope that in mid-November, at the occasion of the APEC opportunity, to hold an informal meeting. It is in this context that Foreign Minister Kono is going to Moscow with three broad issues in mind: (1) to further promote the bilateral relations between our two countries from a strategic and geopolitical point of view, (2) to promote broader cooperation in the economic field, and (3) to strive to concluding the peace treaty.

   In relation to the peace treaty, Foreign Minister Kono hopes to discuss the following points: how to accelerate negotiations on this issue, how to revise the existing joint reference material concerning the territorial issue, and how to vitalize efforts to explain to the Russian public the importance of concluding this peace treaty.

   On the trade and economic side, Foreign Minister Kono hopes to discuss various issues with Deputy Premier Khristenko, including the importance of improving the investment environment in Russia for accommodating Japanese investment, some of the issues pertaining to joint ventures and other economic matters, and how to strengthen the role of the inter-governmental committee handling trade and economic relations.

   Related Information (Foreign Minister Yohei Kono's Visit to Russia)
   
3. Visit to Japan by Vice Chancellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer of the Federal German Republic

   Mr. Yamazaki: Yesterday Foreign Minister Kono held discussions with Vice Chancellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer of the Federal German Republic on how to promote the global partnership between our two countries. The foreign ministers signed a document that articulates seven pillars of cooperation for Japan-Germany relations in the 21st century. I would like to highlight those points.

   First of all the seven pillars should be viewed against the context of previous developments, including in 1996 when, with the global partnership already in mind, Japan and Germany reached agreement on an Action Agenda for the Japan-Germany Partnership. The Action Agenda was, in effect, further broadened in this year's cooperation with the European Union (EU) where we agreed on guidelines for cooperation between Japan and the EU for the next ten years, as laid out in the EU-Japan Global Partnership for the 21st Century. It is against this background that the seven pillars of cooperation should be viewed.

   The first pillar is about how Japan and Germany could contribute to the peace and stability of the international society as exemplified by matters relating to the United Nations (UN), G8, conflict prevention, regional security, disarmament, arms control and nuclear nonproliferation, and United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) affairs.

   The second pillar relates to how to strengthen economic and trade relations by utilizing the trend of globalization. The subitems here include how to cooperate for the stable growth of the world economy, how to cooperate to strengthen the multilateral trading system and the economic relations between Asia and Europe, and also how to cooperate in helping the developing countries in their fight against poverty.

   The third pillar pertains to solving problems of a global scale and solve various social issues, such as cooperation to promote human rights, global environment problems, cooperation in the energy area, cooperation to develop social systems, and cooperating in the battle against organized crime.

   The fourth pillar is on how to contribute to the stability of regional situations, such as the Korean Peninsula, the People's Republic of China, the former Yugoslavia, Russia, Middle East, East Timor, etc.; many areas were mentioned.

   The fifth pillar pertains to how to further construct a bilateral political relationship between our two countries based on trust. This would involve the exchange of personnel at various levels, including parliamentary exchanges, exchanges of officials, including defense officials, for conducting dialogues.

   The sixth pillar is the promotion of bilateral economic relations, such as trade and investment, various dialogues for dealing with our respective social issues and how to cooperate in science and technology, as well as hi-tech and environmental technology.

   The seventh pillar is how to promote mutual understanding and expand our cultural relationship. We have the Japan-Germany Forum, the Berlin Center, and various other exchange programs in the youth and cultural areas.

   I will just mention three further points that arose in the meeting.

   Firstly, it was agreed that reform of the UN Security Council and UN financial reform warrant close cooperation between our two countries.

   Secondly, Foreign Minister Fischer noted that one example of the close cooperation between our two countries can be seen in the fact that the Embassy of Japan in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia assumed the role of protecting powers for Germany. Foreign Minister Fischer highly valued this.

   My final point is in relation to Germany's recent decision to establish diplomatic relations with North Korea. Foreign Minister Fischer said that there are many important issues in relation to North Korea, such as the missile issue, the nuclear issue, the abduction of Japanese nationals--many important issues do remain. Foreign Minister Fischer recognized the fact that these issues are not yet solved. Foreign Minister Fischer went on to explain that Germany's thinking was that approaching North Korea to establish diplomatic relations would help to deepen the mutual understanding with North Korea. Foreign Minister Fischer reassured us that Germany has not forgotten the aforementioned issues and they are indeed important and need to be solved. Foreign Minister Kono commented that it is important that exchanges with North Korea are expanded upon and in this connection the fact that Germany has established diplomatic relations with North Korea was welcomed.

   Related Information (Japan-Germany Relations)
   
4. The eleventh round of talks between Japan and North Korea on the normalization of diplomatic relations

   Mr. Yamazaki: My final announcement is on the eleventh round of Japan-North Korea normalization talks that are underway in Beijing at this moment. We have agreed with the North Korean side that we can only say the minimum as the talks are still ongoing and it is not useful to attempt to give any detailed account. What I am going to say now was agreed upon as the guidelines for the press briefing for the meeting that took place yesterday.

   Yesterday there was a meeting, in both the morning and afternoon, in which both sides reviewed the progress in North-South dialogue as well as progress in relations between the United States of America and North Korea since August, when the tenth round of our talks was held. Both sides agreed in welcoming the developments between North Korea and the Republic of Korea and between the United States and North Korea. They also agreed that in the context of a positive trend on the Korean Peninsula, the two sides would endeavor to realize the early normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea.

   Noting the cable that Premier Hong Sam-nam sent to Prime Minister Mori, North Korea's appreciation was reiterated in relation to the decision by the Government of Japan to extend food aid. Serious and sound exchanges of views were conducted on the question of how to cope with the issue of the past.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
5. Follow-up question on Japan-Russia relations

   Q: On Russia, a reference to revising the joint reference material, what is that? Is that an attempt to establish the historic claims to territory?

   Mr. Yamazaki: This was an endeavor embarked upon a few years ago in agreement between the two governments to come up with various historical references that would increase the appreciation and understanding of the issue on the part of the peoples of both countries. I do not have the exact details of how it will be revised. I think some of it will be updated, reflecting the deepening of Japan-Russia relations and the various documents that have been adopted between our two countries. I will have to check for more details less I mislead you, but it is a mutual exercise being pursued in a constructive way.

   Related Information (Japan-Russia Relations)
   
6. Questions on normalization talks between Japan and North Korea

   Q: On the Korean issue, do you know what the schedule was in the talks today?

   Mr. Yamazaki: No, I do not know yet. I have not yet had confirmation, but the meeting was scheduled to take place in the morning and afternoon.

   Q: Will they have another session tomorrow?

   Mr. Yamazaki: That is not yet decided. The original schedule is 30 and 31 October, yesterday and today. I cannot answer your question until the end of the day.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
7. The position of the Government of Japan on a possible visit to North Korea by President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America

   Q: I have a report saying that some Japanese official, Mr. Shinji Yanai, Ambassador to the United States, said that he hoped Mr. Clinton would visit North Korea only after matters of concern for Japan were addressed. Does that mean Japan has reservations on Mr. Clinton's plans or discussed visit to North Korea?

   Mr. Yamazaki: I am not sure how accurate that report is. The Government of Japan is not in a position to make any comment on what the Government of the United States of America is now studying vis-à-vis a possible trip by President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America.

   Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
   
8. Questions on recent diplomatic activity undertaken by the Government of Japan

   Q: There has been an extraordinary flurry of diplomatic activity in recent months. President Putin has been to Tokyo, Premier Zhu Rongji has been to Tokyo, Prime Minister Mori has been to India, and now we have President Khatami here. Is this totally coincidental, the fact that these things all come together under the Mori administration? What part has the Mori administration played in bringing about these diplomatic activities? Or were they scheduled well in advance?

   Mr. Yamazaki: Well, of course, some multilateral meetings have already been scheduled, such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) III, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting coming up: there are biannual or annual events. However, for example, the South Asian trip in August, that was certainly an initiative by Prime Minister Mori, given the importance of the region and the fact that a Japanese prime minister had not been there for ten years.

   You did not mention the recent visit to Japan by President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea. We are delighted that the diplomatic calendar, especially at summit- or ministerial-level, is so intensive. I hope that reflects the eagerness of the Foreign Ministry apparatus, and also the depth and range of Japanese foreign policy, to promote Japan to play an even more constructive role in the international community.

   We were also very active at the United Nations Millennium Summit in early Sepbember in New York, and after the APEC Leaders' Meeting we have the ASEAN+3 (Japan, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea) in Singapore towards the end of November at which it has already been agreed between Japan, China and Korea to hold an informal meeting at summit level.

   Q: The term you used was "Foreign Ministry apparatus"?

   Mr. Yamazaki: Yes, that includes everyone related to the Foreign Ministry under the leadership of Prime Minister Mori and Foreign Minister Kono.

9. Questions on Japan-Iran relations

   Q: I read some reports saying that the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed the readiness of Iran to mediate between Japan and North Korea. Do you have any comment on this?

   Mr. Yamazaki: I am not aware of that report.

   Q: Do you feel that Iran could play such a role, mediating between Japan and North Korea?

   Mr. Yamazaki: I do not have the information at hand to answer your question at this time.

   Q: Do you have any idea what political issues will be discussed by Prime Minister Mori and President Khatami?

   Mr. Yamazaki: Yes. However, I would rather wait until after the meeting to give you a detailed briefing. I mentioned that some international issues would obviously be touched upon.

   Related Information (Japan-Iran Relations)
   
10. Other questions

    Q: I read a report saying that a US guided missile destroyer, the Curtis Wilbur, changed its course suddenly and landed in Shizuoka instead of Fukuoka, or something like that. They say this was a surprise for the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Do you have background about that?

    Mr. Yamazaki: I do not have any background, but under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), in Article V there is language that relates to access to Japan by United States Forces Japan (USFJ) airplanes or ships. In this case when a ship wants to make a specific port entry, the only obligation that the American side has is to give notification of that, and of course there must be physical space and it must be coordinated with the Japanese authorities. Usually there are at least a few days to coordinate such a request. As I do not know the specific details of this case, I cannot make any specific comments. But this is to give you a general idea of the procedures under SOFA which would be taken by the US vessel.

    Q: Do you think this is a security maneuver in light of what happened in Yemen against the US destroyer?

    Mr. Yamazaki: I have no idea. It is up to the American side to make their own decisions according to their standard procedures.

    Q: Are there any plans for any high-level diplomatic visits from Saudi Arabia or any other Middle Eastern state?

    Mr. Yamazaki: Not that I am aware of at this time. But I do not want to categorically rule out any possibilities, because there are events and other visits that would be in the pipeline.