Press Conference 13 June 2000

1. Announcement on the evacuation of Japanese nationals from the Solomon Islands
2. Remarks upon the demise of late President Hafez al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic
3. Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono and Head of the Presidential Office Mohammad Ali Abtahi of the Islamic Republic of Iran
4. Announcement on the Japan-Republic of Korea Cultural Exchange Conference
5. Announcement on the results of the Women's 2000 Council in New York
6. Announcement on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting
7. Summit meeting between North Korea and the Republic of Korea
8. Follow-up question concerning Japan's bilateral relations with Iran

1. Announcement on the evacuation of Japanese nationals from the Solomon Islands

   Press Secretary Ryuichiro Yamazaki: My first announcement is in relation to the situation in the Solomon Islands, since the incident on 5 June, when Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu was detained by the Malaita Eagle Force rebels. Since then, the capital city of Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal has been quite unstable. Yesterday, 12 June, we were obliged to upgrade the level of the security risk, which had been until then at level four, which means departure advice for residents staying for non-essential purposes, to level five of security risk. Level five means evacuation advice for all residents. Subsequently, we were obliged to have the members of the Embassy of Japan there evacuated to the city of Noro on the island of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. At present in Noro there are 48 Japanese.

   I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Government of New Zealand for their recent cooperation in evacuating Japanese nationals from Honiara. On 10 June, an Australian naval vessel transported 21 Japanese from Honiara to the Australian port of Cairns, where they arrived safely earlier this morning. On 12 June, 27 Japanese were allowed to be part of the passengers on an airplane chartered by the Government of New Zealand, and they arrived later that day in the Australian city of Townsville.

   Related Information (Japan-Solomon Relations)
   
2. Remarks upon the demise of late President Hafez al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic

   Mr. Yamazaki: Let me first read to you the statement by Prime Minister Mori issued on 11 June:

   "Upon learning of the passing of President Hafez al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic, I should like to extend, on behalf of the people and Government of Japan, my sincerest sympathy and condolences to the members of the bereaved family, the Government and the people of Syria. President al-Assad was a key leader in the region, having made the historic decision in 1991 to participate in the Middle East peace process, aiming at achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Since then the late President has been engaged in the peace process, and in particular he resumed peace talks with Israel last December for the first time after an interval of four years. The demise of President al-Assad is all the more regrettable as there was a strong expectation for the realization of peace with Israel in the coming months. We sincerely hope that the people of the Syrian Arab Republic will overcome their sorrow and continue to make active efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, as well as the further development of Syria. We also call upon the international community to make renewed efforts to realize the goal of comprehensive peace in the Middle East."

   Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono has been dispatched as a special envoy to the funeral, which is presently taking place. Foreign Minister Kono left late last night on the Government plane and will be returning later in the afternoon tomorrow.

   I will just say a few words about our bilateral relations with Syria, which have been progressing well. We are very proud that we are the number one donor in official development assistance (ODA) to Syria, including major yen loan projects, which total 156 billion yen, such as a 46 billion project of the Al-zara power plant.

   Other than the economic side, we have been having high-level dialogue, as exemplified by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama's official visit in 1995, and visits by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yukihiko Ikeda in 1996, Minister of State for Defense Fumio Kyuma in 1997, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura earlier last year in 1999.

   On the Syrian side, Minister of Foreign Affairs Farouk al-Shara visited Japan in 1992, 1995 and 1999, and Minister of Culture Najah al-Attar in 1997. We look forward to continuing dialogues at both ministerial and officials levels. Japan has been participating in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights since February 1996. With regard to the Middle East peace process, Japan has been chairing the Water Resources Working Group and is Vice-Chair of the Environment Working Group, in which we will continue to play an active role.

   Related Information (Japan-Syria Relations)
   
3. Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono and Head of the Presidential Office Mohammad Ali Abtahi of the Islamic Republic of Iran

   Mr. Yamazaki: We had many dignitaries from abroad to the funeral of former Prime Minister Obuchi and one of the meetings which took place was that between Foreign Minister Kono and Head of the Presidential Office Mohammad Ali Abtahi of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I will give you a rundown of the meeting, which took place in the early afternoon of 9 June.

   The meeting covered broad subjects, encompassing politics, civilization and economics. Foreign Minister Kono at the outset expressed his gratitude to Mr. Abtahi for attending the funeral, and Mr. Abtahi offered his deepest condolences. Foreign Minister Kono expressed his support for Iran's reform, which President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami is presently conducting, and also for his efforts to ease tensions with the international community at large. To this expression of support, Mr. Abtahi said that what Iran was now promoting is a sublime revolution in its own right, that it is something that has been generated by the people themselves, and that there are not many examples in the world of this sort of revolution. He also added that the various developments for democratization happening now in Iran are extremely important, and noted that during the three years since the Khatami regime came to power, last year's local elections and this year's general elections have been conducted. As a result of the recent national elections, more than 70% of the seats are occupied by those who support reform. Mr. Abtahi also mentioned that at the same time the reform must conducted in accordance with the reality that Iran is facing, and that democratization must be maintained at an appropriate pace. He also added that due to the fact that there was support from the people and from the highest leadership, the basic direction of reform was irreversible.

   Foreign Minister Kono, noting that President Khatami is advocating the dialogue among civilizations, and that the United Nations has deemed next year the Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations, said that Japan has to better understand the Islam culture. He added that he has established a special study group on Islam so that we can better appreciate Islam.

   In response, Mr. Abtahi mentioned that he was aware of this study group and hoped that there would be better understanding, and that any misunderstanding toward Islam, including terrorism and other aspects, should be rectified. Foreign Minister Kono expressed his agreement with this, and mentioned his concern that in Iran, some of the important people supporting reform had been at the mercy of terrorists. Mr. Abtahi replied that the society of Iran does not tolerate terrorism. He also mentioned that the Third Five-Year Plan has just started, and that though in the past Iran suffered from a decline in oil prices as well as droughts, the situation has presently improved, and with the Government and the people exerting their utmost efforts, problems will be solved. He also looked forward to further economic cooperation from Japan.

   At both the beginning and at the end of the meeting, Foreign Minister Kono reiterated Japan's invitation to welcome President Khatami for an official visit to Japan sometime during the course of this year.

   Related Information (Japan-Iran Relations)
   
4. Announcement on the Japan-Republic of Korea Cultural Exchange Conference

   Mr. Yamazaki: I have an announcement on a meeting held among non-governmental people from Japan and the Republic of Korea, called the Japan-Republic of Korea Cultural Exchange Conference. The Conference is based upon an agreement reached in the meetings between Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and President Kim Dae Jung in 1998 to establish a non-governmental body composed of academics, opinion leaders and cultural figures to discuss the issue of how to expand cultural exchange between our two countries. The first meeting was held last year, and the second meeting was held on 9 June. It was chaired by Mr. Shumon Miura, a very renowned author, and on the Republic of Korea side by Professor Ji Myong Guan of Hanrim University.

   I was with Prime Minister Mori when he visited the Republic of Korea a couple of weeks ago, and I myself, as well as the others in the delegation, noted the very smooth expansion of cultural exchanges between Japan and the Republic of Korea. Prime Minister Mori mentioned to President Kim Dae Jung that this owed a lot to President Kim Dae Jung's policy of opening the Republic of Korea's doors to accommodate more Japanese culture. At their third meeting scheduled in Seoul next year, it is expected that the Japan-Republic of Korea Cultural Council will come up with specific proposals for further expansion of cultural exchanges.

   Related Information (Japan-Republic of Korea Relations)
   
5. Announcement on the results of the Women's 2000 Council in New York

   Mr. Yamazaki: The Women's 2000 Council in New York marks the fifth year since the Beijing Conference on Women, and was held as a Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Japan played a key role as a member of the so-called JUSCANZ group (Japan-United States-Canada-Australia-New Zealand) which this time also included countries such as the Republic of Iceland, the Swiss Confederation, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Republic of Korea.

   One of the points on which Japan placed importance was education of women in the context of dealing with the gender gap and contributing to the empowerment of women. There were also other themes as to how to mainstream gender, how to assess the impact of various policies upon the gender issue, and how to evaluate unpaid work, such as household work, which is not counted in the economy. Other issues included the feminization of poverty, in other words that poverty strikes women first and more seriously, and how to ensure equal opportunity in economic activities between the two genders, including job training for women.

   There was also discussion in relation to how to balance household work and work outside the home, on women's reproductive rights and health, and on this whole notion of human security in terms of how to deal with the threats to the life, welfare and dignity of women from poverty, domestic violence, international crime and HIV/AIDS. Counselor Misako Kaji of the Japanese Mission to the United Nations was one of the Vice Chairs of the Preparatory Committee of the Council, and initially she was handling the issue of NGO participation. Once that issue had been solved earlier this year, she continued to cover other difficult issues, such as trafficking of human beings, debt issues and unilateral measures. Her contribution as the coordinator was highly valued by those concerned.

   Japan, as the number one donor of ODA for nine years in a row, will certainly inject this gender perspective into our development aid process, such as in the education of women, in improving their health, in promoting their integration into social and economic activities, and in helping to empower them in general in the developing countries. In relation to the NGO aspect, we conducted three briefings with NGOs, and included four members of NGOs in the Japanese delegation. We hope to continue our dialogue and cooperation with relevant NGOs.

   Related Information (Japan and the United Nations)
   
6. Announcement on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting

   Mr. Yamazaki: Last week on 6-7 June the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting was held in Darwin, Australia. From Japan, Minister of International Trade and Industry Takashi Fukaya and Ambassador for International Trade and Economic Affairs Kazuo Asakai attended. They discussed various trade and development aspects pertaining to APEC. They agreed on the necessity to start a new round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations as soon as possible, and also took note of the fact that the agriculture and services negotiations had started in Geneva.

   Concerning sub-regional trade agreements, in other words the developments pertaining to free trade agreements, they agreed that they should be consistent with WTO rules, and that in the APEC region, they should be in line with the APEC architecture and supportive of APEC codes and principles. There were various discussions on topics such as individual and cooperative action programs, and this was a useful meeting to maintain momentum for free trade in the region.

   Related Information (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC))
   
7. Summit meeting between North Korea and the Republic of Korea

   Q: Concerning the visit to North Korea of South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, is he carrying any message from Japan to the North Korean Government?

   Mr. Yamazaki: When Prime Minister Mori met with President Kim Dae Jung at the time of former Prime Minister Obuchi's funeral last week, Prime Minister Mori said to President Kim Dae Jung that he was looking forward to the successful outcome of the North-South Summit. In that connection, Prime Minister Mori mentioned that Japan has a strong will and eagerness to normalize relations with the North, and that he would appreciate it if President Kim Dae Jung would convey that to the North Korean side. President Kim Dae Jung responded that he would do so.

   As to the actual visit itself, we have just seen on the television a few hours ago President Kim Dae Jung landing at Pyongyang, witn Kim Jong Il greeting him in person at the airport. It was certainly a very warm

   welcome extended to President Kim Dae Jung, and we are delighted that the visit has started off extremely smoothly. As you know, we have constantly maintained that we look forward to the success of President Kim Dae Jung's visit to Pyongyang.

   Q: Can you confirm reports that Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States are planning to hold a policy coordination meeting after the North-South Summit?

   Mr. Yamazaki: I believe the meeting you are talking about is at the senior officials' level, and I hink that the last one took place about three weeks ago. In any case, I do not have any information on that yet.

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8. Follow-up question concerning Japan's bilateral relations with Iran

   Q: You said that in the meeting with Mr. Abtahi, Mr. Kono said that Japan will continue to support the Khatami Government. How is Japan going to do this?

   Mr. Yamazaki: Foreign Minister Kono said that he supports the reforms that President Khatami is now embarking upon on the domestic side. On bilateral relations, we are constantly reviewing the situation, and as I said, there is an outstanding invitation to President Khatami to visit Japan. I also mentioned several ministerial level exchanges, and we have been maintaining a continuous political dialogue. I cannot give you any forecast on any eventual outcome of President Khatami's visit to Japan, but if and when that takes place, I am sure it will provide another opportunity for our bilateral relations to progress forward.

   Related Information (Japan-Iran Relations)