Press Conference 13 September 2002
- Return of the United States of America to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
- Statement on the death of a candidate for regional assembly elections in Kashmir
- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to attend Fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
- Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi's visit to the United States of America
- Prime Minister Koizumi's upcoming visit to North Korea
- Question on Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to the United States
- Cooperation scheme on road construction by Japan, the United States, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Follow-up questions on North Korea
- Question concerning possible meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and President Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China
- Return of the United States of America to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
Assistant Press Secretary Jiro Okuyama: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today we start with a statement by Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on the United State's return to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The Government of Japan welcomes the announcement made by President George W. Bush of the United States of America on 12 September. It was announced to the United Nations General Assembly that the United States intends to return to UNESCO after a lapse of 18 years.
In today's world where confrontations and conflicts resulting from differences of race, religion, and culture frequently occur, UNESCO's role to create an environment for peace and security in international society through international cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture is becoming more and more important. Considering such a situation, the Government of Japan has repeatedly urged the United States to return to UNESCO. When Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States visited Japan in February of this year, Japan also urged the United States to rejoin UNESCO, explaining that Director-General Koichiro Matsuura of UNESCO is making efforts to reform UNESCO.
In terms of promoting the universality of the activities of UNESCO and boosting its activities, it is extremely significant that the United States has announced its intention to return to UNESCO. The Government of Japan is willing to strengthen the cooperative relationship between Japan and the United States through the activities of UNESCO.
Related Information (Statement by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the United States' Return to UNESCO)
- Statement on the death of a candidate for regional assembly elections in Kashmir
Mr. Okuyama: We have a statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations Hatsuhisa Takashima of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the killing of a candidate for the regional assembly elections in Kashmir.
The Government of Japan expresses its sorrow over Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and other victims who were killed in Kupwara district in Kashmir on September 11 and categorically condemns such acts of terrorism. The Government of Japan strongly hopes that the elections in Kashmir will be held in a free and fair manner without suffering disruption by terrorist violence.
Related Information (Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Killing of a Candidate for the Regional Assembly Elections in Kashmir)
- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to attend Fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
Mr. Okuyama: We have received reconfirmation of the announcement, which we made yesterday, that on the occasion of the Fourth ASEM, Prime Minister Koizumi will meet President Kim Dae-Jung of the Republic of Korea in the morning of Sunday, 22 September.
Related Information (The Asia-Europe Meeting)
- Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi's visit to the United States of America
There is an update on Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's schedule in New York City. On Friday, 13 September, in the morning she will visit Ground Zero in New York and lay a wreath. Then she will listen to Prime Minister Koizumi's General Assembly speech, which is expected to take place later in the morning on Friday. In the afternoon she will attend a high-level ad hoc meeting on Afghanistan, followed by a bilateral talk with Secretary of State Powell, and dinner for G8 foreign ministers in the evening.
On Saturday the 14th, she will attend a breakfast meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in the morning, and in the afternoon she is scheduled to attend the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Friend's Foreign Ministers Conference, followed by a press conference.
Related Information (Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's Visit to the United States of America)
- Prime Minister Koizumi's upcoming visit to North Korea
Lastly, I will make some supplementary remarks about Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang. As of now, the schedules for the departure time for Prime Minister Koizumi's special flight are as follows: We expect the plane to leave at 6:30 from Haneda and arrive in Pyongyang at 9:15, local time. Prime Minister Koizumi will depart from Pyongyang's Soonan Airport at 20:00 and arrive at Haneda at 22:20, all by a special government aircraft.
As for the schedule in Pyongyang, we are hoping to allow as much time as possible for talks with General Secretary Kim Jong Il of North Korea. As for other schedules, at this moment nothing has been firmly decided.
Lunch is presently being coordinated with the Korean side. At this moment we do not know if there will be a press conference by Prime Minister Koizumi. Prime Minister Koizumi will be accompanied by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe and from the Foreign Ministry by Deputy Foreign Minister Takano for Political Affairs, Director General Tanaka for Asia-Pacific Affairs, and Director General Ebihara for Treaty Affairs.
We are hoping to issue a notice some time towards the end of today. There is great interest from the non-Japanese press in general about the outcome of Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang, and we are hoping to bring somebody directly from Haneda airport to brief you on what has happened in Pyongyang. It has to be a person who is quite knowledgeable about the relations between the two countries, and we are hoping to do this, right after the plane lands, in the vicinity of Haneda. The exact notice will be circulated later today, hopefully, since Monday is a holiday and the first working day after today is actually the day of the visit itself. So please do come. It is going to be late at night but immediately after the plane lands.
Related Information (Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Visit to North Korea)
- Question on Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to the United States
Q: During the Prime Minister's stay in the US, has he had any communication with President George W. Bush or Secretary of State Powell?
Mr. Okuyama: Yes, we saw on TV that there were summit talks between Prime Minister Koizumi and President Bush, which were also attended by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Foreign Minister Kawaguchi. If you are interested, I have a short Japanese summary of what actually transpired between the two. But I must forewarn you that because it is a Japanese summary, the nuances and the exact words which were used may be different, but if you agree to this, then I will just simply try to give you a translation of this summary.
There were four topics: one was North Korea, the second was Iraq, the third was the Japanese economy, and the fourth was global issues.
On North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his appreciation for the support that the United States has given, and he hopes to hold this bilateral meeting with General Secretary Kim Jong Il after having coordinated closely with the United States and the Republic of Korea. There are pending issues between the two countries, including the abduction issue and concerns relating to security, which Japan and the United States share. He will raise these concerns with General Secretary Kim Jong Il and he will urge the General Secretary to respond sincerely to these issues. In reply, President Bush said that he wholeheartedly welcomes Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang and that he would certainly like to hear at an early time what has transpired from the meeting. Also, the United States would like to provide information that it has before the visit takes place. The United States has great interests relating to weapons of mass destruction, missiles, and conventional arms, and President Bush regards these as sources of concern for Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea. The United States on its part has not closed its venue of dialogue with North Korea.
In response, Prime Minister Koizumi said - bearing in mind what President Bush had just said - that he would like to go ahead with the meeting with North Korea.
On Iraq, Prime Minister Koizumi began by saying that he believes that the people of the world were extremely impressed with President George W. Bush's speech at the UN. President Bush expressed in very clear terms what were the problems with Iraq and that in order to solve these problems it would be desirable that further efforts be made in terms of international collaboration. Prime Minister Koizumi fully understands the anger of the American people, but this is a time when patience is required, and it is desirable that further international collaboration be pursued.
In response, President Bush said that the question is how many more promises will Iraq have to break. He said that Saddam Hussein has been doing terrible things, including torture, and that bargaining is his usual tool of trade. President Bush said that the United States will make diplomatic efforts, but that the United States will have to start thinking about other means if they do not succeed.
Also President Bush said that he is now facing criticism from hardliners within the United States concerning what he has just said in his speech to the UN. Prime Minister Koizumi said that we should focus on UN activities, and we should muster efforts around the UN and make further efforts in this regard. Efforts should be made through the United Nations in order to make Iraq observe relevant Security Council resolutions.
Finally, President Bush said that Prime Minister Koizumi should not worry about these further efforts and that he fully understands that international coordination on this issue is important.
On the Japanese economy, in response to President Bush's question on the current state of things relating to the Koizumi reforms, Prime Minister Koizumi said the following: The reforms are progressing steadily, the reforms are on the right track, and he would like to see them accelerated. He knows that there are criticisms, but what his Cabinet is doing is much more than any of the cabinets before him. Today's pain will lead to a better condition tomorrow, and once again the reforms are on track.
In response, President Bush said that he welcomes the strong determination to reform by Prime Minister Koizumi and that he hopes the Japanese economy will once again be strong. Prime Minister Koizumi said that the greatest challenge for Japan is the revival of its economy.
On global issues, President Bush said that the initiative that was announced jointly by Japan and the United States on the occasion of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in South Africa, which was titled "Clean Water for People," was important. He said that such kinds of undertakings will result in many benefits for the people of Africa.
Related Information (Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's Visit to the United States of America)
- Cooperation scheme on road construction by Japan, the United States, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Mr. Okuyama: Just prior to the Japan-US summit talks, an announcement was made with the attendance of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and also the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia on the cooperation scheme for road construction between Kabul and Kandahar by Japan, the United States, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The total amount is expected to be US$180 million. Japan is expected to put in US$50 million, the United States US$80 million, and Saudi Arabia US$50 million.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
Related Information (Japan-Saudi Arabia Relations)
- Follow-up questions on North Korea
Q: I have a couple more questions regarding North Korea. What can we expect from this trip to Korea? There of course could be a wide variety of issues that I think will be discussed on Tuesday. For instance, the ship that was raised off the coast of Kyushu this week - is that going to be on the table? Is that going to be discussed as well?
Mr. Okuyama: First of all, what we have been saying all along is that Prime Minister Koizumi will visit Pyongyang to see if the North Korean side is ready to make a political decision to discuss in a comprehensive manner the pending issues between Japan and North Korea and also issues relating to the normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea. The pending issues include the abduction issue, missiles, and weapons of mass destruction. Prime Minister Koizumi also said that he may bring up the issue of the unidentified ships, one of which has just been raised, but it has been said that there are many others. So this is the stance on the part of Japan, and Prime Minister Koizumi himself will have to see if the North Korean side is ready to respond to this comprehensive approach. Q: Is the position of the Japanese Government that normalizing ties with North Korea would help propel some of these issues forward, or will these issues need to move forward in order for Japan to normalize ties with North Korea?
Mr. Okuyama: I think it is a bit difficult to say whether one issue goes ahead of the others. The important thing, when we say a "comprehensive approach," is that we would like to put everything on the table and then mutually show our willingness to talk. The Japanese side is willing to show this, so it is up to the North Korean side to show likewise their willingness to engage in negotiations with the Japanese side in a form in which they discuss everything. In other words, we would not like to see the North Korean side picking up one issue and disregarding the rest. The normalization talks should go hand in hand with discussions related to what we call pending issues.
Related Information (Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Visit to North Korea)
- Question concerning possible meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and President Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China
Q: On the sidelines of the ASEM Summit, are there any prospects for a meeting between Prime Minister Koizumi and the Chinese President Jiang Zemin?
Mr. Okuyama: At the moment there is no plan.Q: Is it being arranged?
Mr. Okuyama: I can only answer in a very general manner, that is to say that continuous dialogue between the leadership of the two countries is most desirable. So when it is mutually convenient for both leaders to meet each other, then that meeting should take place. But that is in the realm of generality, and when the two leaders will meet next is not decided at present.
Thank you.
Related Information (Japan-China Relations)
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