Press Conference by the Press Secretary 15 February 2000

1. Contents of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's keynote speech at the Tenth Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2. Meeting between Prime Minister Obuchi and ASEAN leaders
3. Details of the visit to Japan by Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation
4. Possibility of a visit to the United States of America by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono
5. Regarding the possibility of inviting the People's Republic of China to attend the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit
6. Japan's position on the United States military presence in Japan
7. Details of Prime Minister Obuchi's comments on the reform of the international financial system during the meeting with ASEAN leaders
8. Other issues

1. Contents of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's keynote speech at the Tenth Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

   Deputy Press Secretary Chikahito Harada: Good afternoon. We had two important events over the weekend so I would like to give you a quick rundown of these events.

   First, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's attendance at the Tenth Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and his meeting with the ASEAN leaders. Prime Minister Obuchi visited Bangkok on 12-13 February and made a keynote speech at the Tenth Session of UNCTAD. Taking this opportunity, Prime Minister Obuchi held a meeting with the ASEAN leaders and attended a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai of the Kingdom of Thailand for Prime Minister Obuchi, the ASEAN leaders, Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations and others. I will run through some of the major points of Prime Minister Obuchi's keynote speech.

   Prime Minister Obuchi expressed willingness to promote assistance to developing countries, such as financial assistance for human resources development, to help develop a sophisticated information and communications society to enable developing countries to benefit from globalization. Prime Minister Obuchi emphasized the importance of promptly launching a comprehensive round of negotiations, focusing not only on greater market access, but also on strengthening World Trade Organization (WTO) rules while responding appropriately to the interests and concerns of the developing countries. He stated that Japan would make its utmost effort together with other countries in assuring the developing countries that they can also be the beneficiaries of the multilateral trading system. In this context, he expressed that Japan was prepared to provide human resources development over the next five years in the form of 2,500 personnel in developing countries for capacity building related to the implementation of the WTO agreements. Moreover, with respect to imports from the least developed countries, Japan intends to take forward, with the participation of other major countries, an initiative to implement a duty-free and quota-free preferential treatment for essentially all products. These are the major points which I want to repeat here.

   Related Information (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD))
   
2. Meeting between Prime Minister Obuchi and ASEAN leaders

   Mr. Harada: Now to Prime Minister Obuchi's meeting with the ASEAN leaders. They discussed the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit and Japan-ASEAN cooperation. On the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, Prime Minister Obuchi explained that he intended to pick up three issues, namely development, including the development of human resources, the reform of the international financial system, and global issues, such as large organized crimes, which were going to rise to drug trafficking, arms exports, smuggling of peoples and money laundering. Prime Minister Obuchi sounded out the ASEAN leaders as to what they expect of the G8 process.

   Besides the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, Prime Minister Obuchi and the ASEAN leaders exchanged views on further strengthening Japan-ASEAN cooperation, including in the area of the Mekong Basin development.

   Related Information (Japan-ASEAN Relations)
   
3. Details of the visit to Japan by Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation

   Mr. Harada: I would like to give a rundown of the visit to Japan by Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation. On 11 February we had a meeting between Foreign Minister Kono and Foreign Minister Ivanov for about four hours, including a working lunch. On the bilateral aspect, Foreign Minister Ivanov reaffirmed that under Acting President Vladimir Putin, the Government of the Russian Federation would maintain its domestic and foreign policies, which Foreign Minister Kono welcomed and expressed Japan's support for. Foreign Minister Ivanov also confirmed that Russia would continue its basic policy to develop the bilateral relationship with Japan in all areas. In this context, he confirmed that Russia would respect all agreements with Japan, such as the Tokyo Declaration, the Krasnoyarsk Agreement, the Kawana Agreement and the Moscow Declaration. He also said that Russia would continue the negotiations toward a peace treaty based upon these agreements.

   On political dialogue between the two countries, both ministers agreed that it is most desirable to realize at an early stage the visit to Japan of the President of the Russian Federation. In this context, Foreign Minister Kono mentioned that it is most desirable to hold a Japan-Russia bilateral summit, for example, before the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit. Both ministers agreed to more rigorously prepare documents to be concluded on the occasion of the Russian President's visit to Japan. They also agreed to continue consultations on how this bilateral summit meeting might take place.

   On the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, they confirmed the importance of cooperation between the two countries for the success of the Summit. During the meeting, Foreign Minister Ivanov explained the current Chechen situation. They also exchanged views on international issues, including North Korea. On 10 February, Foreign Minister Ivanov paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Obuchi and handed him a letter from Acting President Putin. The essence of the letter is basically the same message on the bilateral relationship which Foreign Minister Ivanov told Foreign Minister Kono.

   Related Information (Japan-Russia Relations)
   
4. Possibility of a visit to the United States of America by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono

   Q: The Japanese press have said that Foreign Minister Kono will be visiting the United States. Could you tell me when and who he will meet? What will he be discussing?

   Mr. Harada: Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright of the United States of America agreed to realize Foreign Minister's visit to the United States at an early stage. We have been consulting with the United States on this issue, but we have not come to a concrete conclusion yet. At this stage, I cannot tell you the concrete timing of Foreign Minister Kono's visit.

   Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
   
5. Regarding the possibility of inviting the People's Republic of China to attend the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit

   Q: On the G8 Summit, yesterday the US State Department Spokesman indicated US support for Japan extending an invitation to China. Is Japan considering handing out an invitation soon? Or is it still early at this stage?

   Mr. Harada: I can tell you our basic position in general terms on this issue. The increase of members of the Summit, including participation in the capacity of observer, requires careful consideration from the viewpoint of the effectiveness of discussion and policy coordination among members of the G8. There is also the issue of whether the People's Republic of China itself desires to become a member of the G8. We would like to consult with other G8 members, taking into consideration the intention of China on this issue.

   Q: If the other G8 members agree to let China join the G8, will Japan allow China to get involved in the G8 policy decisions?

   Mr. Harada: I had better not answer hypothetical questions. At this stage, we have not coordinated with other G8 members, so I would like to see how the coordination will go.

   Q: Is Japan waiting for other G8 members to raise this issue, or is Japan going to raise this issue at the Sherpa meeting sometime?

   Mr. Harada: As you know, we do not disclose the Sherpa process, so I cannot make a concrete comment on that. I think that we will play the chairmanship role on this issue too.

   Q: Has China expressed its will to join the G8 community? If so, in the upcoming visit by the Chinese Foreign Minister, are the two governments going to discuss this issue?

   Mr. Harada: We are expecting Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China to visit Japan. But we have not come to an agreement on the timing of the visit, so I cannot prejudge the meeting between the two ministers. The answer to the first part of your question is that we know that recently some Chinese leaders have expressed rather cautious views on China's participation in the Summit. It seems that they do not have a unified official position on this issue, so we do not know whether the views expressed recently are the official final position.

   Q: So Japan wants to know China's stance first, before asking the G8 countries?

   Mr. Harada: I do not think that any country can be obliged to become a member of any forum.

   Related Information (Japan-China Relations)
   
6. Japan's position on the United States military presence in Japan

   Q: Yesterday, a US official told the Japanese press that Washington is opposed to making cutbacks in its bases and stations in Japan, and does not want any changes to this part of the agreements. Can you comment on Japan's position on this?

   Mr. Harada: We believe that the Host Nation Support has been playing a significant role in ensuring the smooth and effective cooperation of the Japan-US Security Arrangements. We will continue to deal with this issue appropriately to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the Japan-US Security Arrangements, taking into account our financial situation. That is our basic position at this stage.

   Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
   
7. Details of Prime Minister Obuchi's comments on the reform of the international financial system during the meeting with ASEAN leaders

   Q: Can you expand more on the reform of the international financial system. What specific areas did Prime Minister Obuchi discuss with the ASEAN leaders?

   Mr. Harada: The reform of the international financial system was referred to by a number of ASEAN leaders in the context of noting that there have been lots of discussions but there does not seem to be appreciable progress in this. Prime Minister Obuchi, for his part, referred to the fact that discussions have been ongoing in the G8 Summit process. He also referred to the fact that the ASEAN+3 meeting last November stressed the need to reform the international financial system, as well as to strengthen the management of macro-economic risks and strengthen the banking and financial systems.

   Prime Minister Obuchi also noted that with respect to international capital movements there does seem to be an emerging international consensus that in some cases some kind of regulation of international capital movements might prove to be effective on a case-by-case basis, although that should not be taken as something that would replace sound macro-economic policies. This kind of consensus seems to be gradually emerging as the concerns of Asian countries, including Japan, begin to be increasingly reflected in these deliberations. Also, with respect to the activities of hedge funds, there does seem to be an international consensus, for example, more transparency in the declarations on the activities of hedge funds and so forth. He also said that this again is a reflection of the interests of those countries that have been stuck with it. He also mentioned that he might note that there are some ASEAN leaders who did say that this question of transparency on the part of investors and traders continues to be a very serious problem. That is a quick rundown of the discussion of the international financial system.

   Related Information (Japan-ASEAN Relations)
   
   
8. Other issues

   Q: On the Japanese Red Army issue, there was a report that Beirut had rejected a Japanese request for the extradition of Red Army members. Do you have a comment on that? Is Japan planning to ask the Lebanese authorities to reconsider the extradition?

   Mr. Harada: I cannot make a comment on this issue in light of its nature.

   Q: Anything new on the liaison office in East Timor?

   Mr. Harada: My answer would be the same as in the last press conference. We are still preparing for the opening of the liaison office in East Timor. We have not come to a final conclusion yet.

   Q: I understand that US Undersecretary of State Mr. Talbot is arriving in Japan today. Has he met someone here at the Foreign Ministry?

   Mr. Harada: I think that he is arriving today. I do not know whether he will meet anyone today, but he will have consultations with our Vice Minister.

   Q: What is the purpose of his visit?

   Mr. Harada: To have an exchange on bilateral and international issues.

   Q: Including North Korea?

   Mr. Harada: I would not be surprised if they take up the North Korean issue.