Press Conference 3 December 2002

1. Japan-United States of America Security Consultative Committee (SCC)
2. Situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
3. Question concerning the recommendation report by the Prime Minister's Task Force on Foreign Relations

1. Japan-United States of America Security Consultative Committee (SCC)

   Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon, thank you very much for coming to this briefing. I have two announcements I would like to make.

   The first announcement is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that the Security Consultative Committee (SCC), known as the "2+2" Meeting between the Government of Japan and the Government of the United States of America will be held on 16 December in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

   The Committee will be attended, if the situation permits, on the Japanese side by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, Director General of the Defense Agency, and on the US side by Mr. Colin Powell, Secretary of State, and Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense.

   The Committee will exchange views on such current security issues which should be addressed between Japan and the US as the fight against terrorism, the situations in Iraq and North Korea, and issues concerning US forces stationed in Japan.

   Related Information (Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (SCC))
   
2. Situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

   Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is about the situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

   The Government of Japan wholeheartedly welcomes the agreement reached on 28 November, among the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Montenegro on the Constitutional Charter for a state union to be established after the reorganization of the present Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

   Japan pays great tribute to the European Union and also to the three republics concerned for their efforts to make this agreement possible. Japan will continue to work in cooperation with the international community for the stability and prosperity of Southeastern Europe.

   Related Information (Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
   
3. Question concerning the recommendation report by the Prime Minister's Task Force on Foreign Relations

   Q: I would like to ask about the recommendation report that was released by the Prime Minister's Task Force on Foreign Relations headed by Mr. Yukio Okamoto in conjunction with the future direction of Japanese foreign policy. Do you have any comments on the report?

   Mr. Takashima: This recommendation report was addressed to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and not directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, we understand that this report contains many important and meaningful recommendations and proposals, and we would like to take these recommendations into full account when we consider the future direction of Japan's foreign policy at this Ministry. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Koizumi, we will use this report as a good reference for deciding the course of Japanese foreign policy now and in the years to come.