Press Conference 26 April 2002

1. Visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Asia-Pacific countries
2. Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi to countries in Europe and the Middle East
3. Emergency assistance for the Emergency Loya Jirga in Afghanistan
4. Telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Kawaguchi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres of the State of Israel
5. Questions on the meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and President Romano Prodi of the European Commission

1. Visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Asia-Pacific countries

   Deputy Press Secretary Joji Hisaeda: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I have a few announcements to make today.

   Firstly, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Vietnam, East Timor, Australia, and New Zealand from 27 April to 3 May.

   In Viet Nam, 27 and 28 April, Prime Minister Koizumi will have a meeting with Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and pay courtesy calls on President Tran Duc Luong and Mr. Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Vietnam Communist Party.

   In East Timor, 29 April, Prime Minister Koizumi will meet with Mr. Xanana Gusmao, the President-elect, and inspect camps of the Self-Defense Forces units.

   In Australia, 30 April to 2 May, Prime Minister Koizumi will have talks with Prime Minister John Howard and speak at a lecture meeting sponsored by the Asia Society.

   In New Zealand, Prime Minister Koizumi will have a meeting with Prime Minister Helen Clark.

   Related Information (Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Visit to Asia Pacific Countries (Viet Nam, East Timor, Australia and New Zealand))
   
2. Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi to countries in Europe and the Middle East

   Mr. Hisaeda: My second announcement today is that Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi will visit the United Kingdom, Belgium, Afghanistan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran from 28 April to 6 May.

   During her stay in the United Kingdom, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will exchange views on the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and other regions with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and then on the Kyoto Protocol and the World Summit on Sustainable Development with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will also exchange views on how to advance future cooperation between Japan and the United Kingdom, with a view to strengthening bilateral relations.

   In Belgium, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will exchange views with Mr. Christopher Patten, Commissioner in charge of External Relations of the European Commission, and Mr. Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union and High representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), respectively, on the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan and other regions, as well as on the strengthening of Japan-EU relations, including the implementation of the Action Plan for EU-Japan Cooperation.

   In Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will have talks with leaders of the Interim Authority and visit sites where rehabilitation assistance for Afghanistan is being carried out. When meeting with the leaders, she will urge them to implement the peace process on their own initiative, as the holding of the Emergency Loya Jirga is approaching, and convey Japan's intention to assist both the government and people of Afghanistan.

   In Iran, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will exchange views with government leaders on the Afghan situation and cooperation on assistance for Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will also convey Japan's support for Iran's reform policy, discuss how to strengthen bilateral relations, and urge Iran to play a constructive role in the international community on such regional and international issues as the Middle East peace process and the development of weapons of mass destruction.

   Related Information (Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's Visit to Europe and Middle East)
   
3. Emergency assistance for the Emergency Loya Jirga in Afghanistan

   Mr. Hisaeda: My third announcement is on emergency assistance to hold the Emergency Loya Jirga in Afghanistan.

   On 26 April, the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency assistance of US$2,700,000 to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the smooth implementation of the Emergency Loya Jirga in Afghanistan.

   The assistance will be provided as part of the reconstruction assistance of up to US$500 million that the Government of Japan announced at the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan held in January this year, assistance will be extended for the next two-and-a-half years.

   Related Information (Japan-Afghanistan Relations)
   
4. Telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Kawaguchi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres of the State of Israel

   Mr. Hisaeda: Lastly, I would like to brief you on the telephone conversation Foreign Minister Kawaguchi had with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres of the State of Israel yesterday afternoon.

   Foreign Minister Kawaguchi started the conversation by noting that since she had talked with Foreign Minister Peres in March the situation in the Middle East has been worsening.

   In response, Foreign Minister Peres said Israel is also making every effort towards easing the crisis. He remarked that he had read the article contributed by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi to the Yomiuri Shimbun yesterday, and added that he shared common views with Foreign Minister Kawaguchi on many points, examples of which included the view that what is now needed most urgently is a cease-fire from both sides, that the United States must play a decisive role in ensuring peace in the Middle East, and an international conference should be convened with the aim of guaranteeing the cease-fire and the subsequent political process. A comprehensive plan covering a wide variety of issues, such as cease-fire, security, political process, and reconstruction is necessary.

   Foreign Minister Peres added that the most difficult issues are the situations at the Ramallah headquarters of Chairman Arafat and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Israel would like to resolve these issues somehow without resorting to military force.

   Foreign Minister Kawaguchi then stressed to Foreign Minister Peres the following three points: First, she asked Foreign Minister Peres to accept the UN fact-finding mission to probe the Jenin refugee camp incident. She had spoken with former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, a member of the UN fact-finding mission on the phone, and Ms. Ogata had indicated that she is ready for this mission. Second, she urged Foreign Minister Peres to issue an immediate military withdrawal from Palestinian-controlled areas. Third, she urged Foreign Minister Peres to lift the confinement of Chairman Arafat.

   Foreign Minister Peres said Israel had already agreed to accept the fact-finding mission. He stated that the Israeli people were shocked by the rumor of a massacre in Jenin and added that such a rumor has no foundation. Israel asserted that military experts should be included among the members of this mission but did not oppose to the members who have already been selected.

   Lastly, Foreign Minister Peres said that Israeli troops have already retreated from Palestinian-controlled areas other than the headquarters of Chairman Arafat and its vicinity and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

   Related Information (Japan-Israel Relations)
   
5. Questions on the meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and President Romano Prodi of the European Commission

   Q: In the meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and European Commission President Prodi, what does Japan hope to address and accomplish in these talks?

   Mr. Hisaeda: Nowadays, we feel that the European countries are increasingly speaking in a united voice on various issues, such as economic policy, world trade, the World Trade Organization, anti-dumping policies by the United States, and so on. So it is meaningful to have a close exchange of views with European Commission President Romano Prodi representing the European countries as a whole. Moreover, I think that the European countries have some experience with structural reform in their respective countries, so I believe that Prime Minister Koizumi is expecting to gain useful ideas from Mr. Prodi on such issues, as well as explaining Japan's commitment to structural reform. This year we must tackle the important issue of development, so it is also useful to exchange views on this and other related issues, such as trade, environment, and so forth. The two sides will also take up international issues such as the Middle East and cooperation to tackle terrorism. I cannot speculate exactly as to what items Prime Minister Koizumi will raise in his talks with Mr. Prodi, but those are the main points that I can give you at this moment.

   Q: Do you expect them to also take up regional and international issues, such as Afghanistan or the Middle East?

   Mr. Hisaeda: Of course, yes.

   Related Information (Visit to Japan of His Excellency Mr. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission)