Press Conference by the Press Secretary 7 March 2000

1. Announcement on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Southern Lebanon
2. Announcement on additional emergency assistance to the Republic of Mozambique
3. Meeting of the Japan-US Commission on Arms Control, Disarmament, Nonproliferation and Verification
4. Meeting between Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Talbak Nazarov of the Republic of Tajikistan
5. Announcement on the hosting of the Seminar on Energy Security in Asia
6. Visit to Japan by United States Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrook
7. Possibility of resumption of food aid to North Korea
8. Japan's position on the Italian Republic's role in North Korean issues
9. Possibility of the release from the Republic of Lebanon of the Japanese Red Army members
10. Comment on the proposed increase in defense budget by the Government of the People's Republic of China
11. Promoting the Asian perspective at the upcoming Kyushu-Okinawa Summit

1. Announcement on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Southern Lebanon

   Press Secretary Ryuichiro Yamazaki: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I have several announcements that I would like to mention at the beginning.

   My first announcement is in relation to the Government of Israel's recent Cabinet decision, of 5 March, to withdraw their troops from Southern Lebanon as of July this year. We, the Government of Japan, welcome this decision. In the middle of last year there was some unrest in this area of Southern Lebanon, and we were rather concerned. We hope that this withdrawal will be conducted bearing in mind the overall context of the framework for peace in this region. We had originally been supporting United Nations Security Council Resolution 425. In fact, in January last year, when then Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura went to the region, we announced our four-point principles on Southern Lebanon: first, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Southern Lebanon, as stipulated in Security Council Resolution 425; second, that the aforementioned withdrawal should lead to comprehensive Middle East peace; third, the process of withdrawal should not be hindered and parties should discuss its concrete steps without any preconditions; and fourth, the international community should render its support to the stabilization of Southern Lebanon after Israeli withdrawal.

   We are delighted that the first point has been announced as a decision on the part of the Government of Israel. On the fourth point about the international community rendering its support for the stabilization of Southern Lebanon after Israeli withdrawal, it is still a little early, but when the withdrawal is completed, and bearing in mind the developments of the Syrian track, we will explore possibilities of how, as a member of the responsible international community, we could render our support.

   Related Information (Japan-Lebanon Relations)
   
2. Announcement on additional emergency assistance to the Republic of Mozambique

   Mr. Yamazaki: The second announcement is about additional emergency assistance to the Republic of Mozambique for the flood disaster, which was already announced in a press release last Friday. On Friday 3 March at the Cabinet meeting, we decided to extend emergency grant aid of US$600,000 and emergency assistance in kind comprising water and purifying tablets. In addition to the assistance that we have already decided upon, the amount now totals about 121.5 million yen, equivalent to around US$1 million. This is a terrible disaster in the region, and this is why, from the humanitarian point of view, we have decided on this additional aid. As you know, Japan has been involved in Mozambique's nation building for many years, especially with participation in peacekeeping forces in Mozambique in the mid-1990s. Also, in the democratization and election process thereafter, Japan has been constantly rendering assistance to Mozambique.

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3. Meeting of the Japan-US Commission on Arms Control, Disarmament, Nonproliferation and Verification

   Mr. Yamazaki: The third item is concerning the bilateral consultation between Japan and the United States of America on arms control. On Wednesday 8 March, tomorrow, here in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this bilateral consultation will be conducted between Director-General for Arms Control and Scientific Affairs Ambassador Norio Hattori and his counterpart, Senior Advisor to the US President and Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ambassador John Holum. They will be covering various topics in their consultation relevant to this area, including the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), South Asia, and other items. We hope that as a result of this consultation, a bilateral Japan-US Commission on Arms Control, Disarmament, Nonproliferation and Verification will be established, which will meet from time to time to discuss these important issues. A working group will also be established under the Commission. Tomorrow these two gentlemen will be giving a joint press conference from 2.30pm in Room 892, where the meeting will also be held.

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4. Meeting between Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Talbak Nazarov of the Republic of Tajikistan

   Mr. Yamazaki: Fourthly, just a quick follow-up on Minister for Foreign Affairs Talbak Nazarov of the Republic of Tajikistan, who is now in Japan. Last week I mentioned that he is here in relation to a bilateral visit and the Democratization Seminar for Tajikistan. He met with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi yesterday. In the summer of 1997, just before he became Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Obuchi visited four Central Asian countries. A fifth country he did not visit happened to be Tajikistan, so he was delighted to meet with Foreign Minister Nazarov here in Tokyo. Prime Minister Obuchi thanked the Government of Tajikistan for its cooperation in helping solve the case of the kidnapped Japanese in the Republic of Kyrgyz, and also congratulated Foreign Minister Nazarov on the successful outcome of their recent elections, to which we had sent former State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Keizo Takemi to lead our election observers mission there. Prime Minister Obuchi also asked for continued efforts for securing the safety of the United Nations personnel so that they can conduct their mission in safety. He also elaborated that he had sent a letter to President Emomali Rahmonov of the Republic of Tajikistan emphasizing Japan's intention to put emphasis on Central Asia as part of the Silk Road regional diplomacy initiative. Foreign Minister Nazarov handed over to Prime Minister Obuchi a reply letter from President Rahmonov and expressed regret about the unfortunate passing away of Mr. Yutaka Akino and the other three international civil servants at the time of the unfortunate incident. Foreign Minister Nazarov also emphasized he would like to expand relations with Japan.

   Related Information (Japan-Tajikistan Relations)
   
5. Announcement on the hosting of the Seminar on Energy Security in Asia

   Mr. Yamazaki: I have two more quick announcements. The first is on the Seminar on Energy Security in Asia. This is an ongoing project not related to any immediate incident as such, but to study how Japan can enhance its energy security. As you can see from the distributed document you have, about 300 people will be participating, including 50 from overseas. The very extensive agenda shows that in this area of natural gas, we are trying our best to address the issue of Asia's energy security in the mid- to long-term. I will not go too much into detail, but I might just say that as far as natural gas is concerned, at the time of the first oil crisis in 1973, Japan's reliance on natural gas as a source of primary energy was only 1.5%. By 1999 that figure had increased to 11.4%. We believe that natural gas is a very important alternate energy source, especially because it is very gentle on the environment. We intend to continue this exercise through holding this Seminar on Energy Security in Asia in the coming months so that we can explore other relevant aspects of this important

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6. Visit to Japan by United States Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrook

   Mr. Yamazaki: Finally, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrook will be coming to Japan from 16-19 March to have consultations with Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono and other members of the Foreign Ministry. Myself having just come back from the United Nations as the number two Ambassador, I can vouch that Japan and the United States have been continuing close cooperation within the context of the United Nations. In particular, as Ambassador Holbrook was Assistant Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific from 1977-1981 in the Carter Administration, he is very knowledgeable about Japan. In his recent years handling Bosnia and other United Nations-related issues, he is also very knowledgeable about the United Nations. He is therefore an excellent person to bridge Japan, the United Nations, and the United States, and we look forward to having in-depth consultations with him.

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7. Possibility of resumption of food aid to North Korea

   Q: I have two questions about the resumption of rice food aid to North Korea. As far as I am aware, there are few signs in any progress in locating Megumi Yokota and other people who are believed to have been kidnapped by the North Korean Government to serve as spy trainers. Despite this, the food aid is going ahead. What proof, if any, do you have that the North Korean Government is taking steps to locate these people? What scenario do you envision for the Asian region if Japan does not resume food aid to North Korea?

   Mr. Yamazaki: At this present point in time, I cannot confirm the very premise of your question, which is that Japan has decided to resume food aid. It is still in the process of consulting with the coalition parties at this point in time, so you will have to wait a few hours at the earliest to get any official announcement of that. On the unfortunate situation of the kidnapping cases, the relatives came to the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Kono met them yesterday to listen to them directly. This meeting went on for one hour and reflected the very sincere attitude on our part to get forward movement on this issue. I am afraid, however, that since the final decision has not been made and announced, I cannot give you anything more at this present time. If and when the necessary coordination with the relevant authorities has been completed and the Government of Japan does make an announcement, you can get in touch with me.

   Q: Separate to confirmation that resumption has actually been cited, what signs does the Japanese Government have that North Korea is making progress with their search for the suspected abductees?

   Mr. Yamazaki: I would like to answer that question after the decision has been announced. Everything you ask relates to what the announcement will be.

   Q: I understand that the question of food aid is still on hold at the moment, but I would like to ask about the resumption of normalization talks. Does the Japanese Government wish these talks to resume at an early stage, and if so, why?

   Mr. Yamazaki: Again, as you correctly mentioned in your question, the whole process is on hold, so I will not try to answer your question, assuming that some sort of decision is made or not. In general terms, let me say that North Korea in recent months has been trying to deepen its diplomatic relations with various countries. This was seen in New York when their Foreign Minister came to have bilateral meetings with various counterparts within the United Nations General Assembly context. It was seen recently in their approach to the Italian Republic and other countries. We here in Japan value and appreciate this, because it is very important to have North Korea know what the rest of the world is thinking, not only about them but about the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the whole of Asia. That is how we view the recent developments.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
8. Japan's position on the Italian Republic's role in North Korean issues

   Q: Last week the Italian Prime Minister D'Alema announced the visit by Foreign Minister Dini to Pyongyang at the end of this month. I would like to have a comment from you about this visit. Do you think that Italy, being so distant, can really have a role in this process going on with North Korea?

   Mr. Yamazaki: As I have just said, countries like Italy have made demarches to North Korea. We welcome that as a way for North Korea to be engaged more in the international community. You say that Italy is far from the Korean Peninsula, but for instance in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) exercise, the European Union (EU) has been playing a role with a view that KEDO has a global aspect and that the EU should be involved. Of course, Minister for Foreign Affairs Lamberto Dini's trip to North Korea is more in a bilateral context. But Italy is a member of the G8 and a member of the EU. I think that to have a responsible country like Italy have this sort of contact would be very constructive.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
9. Possibility of the release from the Republic of Lebanon of the Japanese Red Army members

   Q: I heard that today the Japanese Red Army members would be released from Lebanon. What is the Japanese Government's latest position regarding this issue?

   Mr. Yamazaki: We are watching the situation with interest. First of all, reports came from the Republic of Lebanon saying that the Government of Lebanon had decided not to hand over the five members to Japan. It was first reported in the press and over the weekend that through diplomatic channels we got official notice of that from the Lebanese side. We still hope in some way that they can be handed over to us. We are still carefully watching the situation and are in touch with the Lebanese side, but I cannot go into more detail. As for your point that 7 March is the end of their sentence, I believe that their sentence in Lebanon says that they have a sort of "buffer period" of 15 days where they can be detained until whatever conclusion the Lebanese side decides upon. It is not that suddenly 7 March comes and the Lebanese side has to decide on the spot.

   Q: On the same issue, I read a report in the Tokyo Shimbun, which claimed that Japan is pressurizing Lebanon, linking Japanese assistance to the issue of handing over the suspects. Also yesterday one reporter claimed that a Japanese Embassy official in Lebanon said openly that Japan will donate US$120 million to Lebanon if they hand over the Red Army members, and if they do not, they will not give the money. What do you make of this?

   Mr. Yamazaki: I have not seen that report and, of course, I do not confirm the contents of it either.

   Q: So there is no link?

   Mr. Yamazaki: We have been having close consultations on this issue with the Lebanese side, but I cannot go into the details, not only from our side, but with respect to the Government of Lebanon too. On the Tokyo Shimbun report, I do not confirm it at all. I have not seen or heard anything about it.

   Q: But as a matter of principle, Japan does not link this assistance or cooperation to this issue?

   Mr. Yamazaki: Well, as a principle, I think you can say that, but I cannot go into details of any specific dealings with this sensitive issue.

   Related Information (Japan-Lebanon Relations)
   
10. Comment on the proposed increase in defense budget by the Government of the People's Republic of China

    Q: The Chinese Government says that it will increase its defense budget by 15%. Can you give us some comment on this?

    Mr. Yamazaki: It has been nearly 12 years that the Government of the People's Republic of China has had double-digit growth in their defense budget. This year, they had initially planned a 15.1% increase, but when they actually finished their fiscal year, it was a 12.7% increase. In other words, you have to watch until the end of the fiscal year to see what happens with the figures announced in the government report. We are not 100% sure what sort of items are covered by the Chinese defense budget per se, but we know that it is important to increase transparency of the defense budget. We have been conducting over the last few years security dialogue and defense exchanges with China, so that we can get a better idea of their defense policy and defense budget. Likewise, we, on the Japanese side, have been explaining about our defense budget and defense policy. It is true that the budget is at a high level at 12.7%, although the share in the overall government budget has not changed much, so we would like to watch the budget carefully and see how it is disbursed.

    Related Information (Japan-China Relations)
    
11. Promoting the Asian perspective at the upcoming Kyushu-Okinawa Summit

    Q: Before every G7 and G8 Summit, Japan goes out to collect Asian views to present at the Summit. This year Prime Minister Obuchi himself went to even remote Laos for this purpose. Some Asian diplomats and government officials have said that this is Japan's annual diplomatic exercise. They say that an Asian government can directly talk to any or all G8 governments. What specific Asian views will Japan have reflected on the Okinawa Summit Communiqué?

    Mr. Yamazaki: It is too early to make any comment on the Communiqué and other documents to come out of the G8 Summit. Last week I described what Prime Minister Obuchi said at the informal Discussion Group that took place, where one of the items he emphasized for the Summit was, for example, information technology. He also said that development was very important, as well as the health issue and globalization. These all have relevance to various Asian countries. We will continue our various dialogues with Asian countries, so that as we approach nearer to the Summit we can literally answer your question about how to inject an Asian perspective into the issues. We are still in early March and have a few months to do this preparation.

    Q: But developing economies are unhappy about globalization, so what position will Japan take on this issue at Okinawa?

    Mr. Yamazaki: As I just mentioned, it is too early to give you any substantive content. But to your general point as to globalization and developing countries, we sometimes say as the positive and negative aspects of globalization. Some developing countries have not benefited that much from globalization, and they may complain. There are things that must be addressed on their behalf, but I cannot go into any detail at this present time.

    Q: There is much noise here that Japan wants to associate Communist China with the G8 Summit. When President Gorbachev was first invited to the G7 Summit, the Soviet Union was already well on its way to democracy. The G8 today is a group of democracies. Has Japan found some special way to mix China's communism with democracy?

    Mr. Yamazaki: If you are asking about whether China is going to become a new member, while recognizing that it is important to engage with China in general, and for the G8 to have dialogues with China, I do not think that it is the consensus of the G8 that China be a full member of the G8. I think that the Chinese Spokesman has also spoken their position on it. I think that your question should be posed from the perspective of Asia. You asked earlier about Japan trying to accommodate the Asian perspective. Of course, China is a major player in Asia, so as we have done in the past, at least we can try and get some Chinese perspective reflected in the discussions. We have been sending high-level officials to China before and/or after Summits to keep them abreast and have them indirectly engaged in the G8 process.

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