Press Conference 15 April 2003

1. Announcement of visit by President Abdoulaye Wade of the Republic of Senegal
2. Question concerning possible multilateral talks with North Korea
3. Question concerning travel advisories for the United States, London and Beijing
4. Question concerning the reconstruction of Iraq

1. Announcement of visit by President Abdoulaye Wade of the Republic of Senegal

   Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon. Thank you very much for coming. Today I have one announcement to make.

   The President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Abdoulaye Wade, and his wife will pay an official working visit to Japan from May 12-15, 2003. During their stay in Japan, the President and Mrs. Wade will make a state call on Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan. President Wade will also hold a meeting with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The Government of Japan warmly welcomes the visit of President and Mrs. Wade, which will further strengthen the friendly relations existing between our two countries.

   Related Information (Japan-Senegal Relations)
   
2. Question concerning possible multilateral talks with North Korea

   Q: According to the Korean Herald, a Republic of Korea foreign ministry official said North Korea and China opposed Japan and Russia taking part in multilateral talks. Can you confirm the information and what is your reaction to it?

   Mr. Takashima: We do not have that information. We are in favor of having multilateral dialogue on the issue of North Korea's development of nuclear weapons simply because this issue is not only Japan's concern but also a concern of many countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States of America and the Russian Federation. All those countries are interested in taking part in the discussions to deal with this question and to resolve this issue peacefully and diplomatically. That is my understanding.

   Q: The Mainichi Shimbun reported that Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States have officially decided to hold a Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting later this month in Seoul. Could you confirm this information and tell us the date?

   Mr. Takashima: Actually, nothing has been decided yet.

   TCOG is the meeting regularly held amongst the three countries you mentioned-Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States. There will be another session but no date has been set yet.

   Q: Does Japan support the inclusion of Russia in any multilateral talks?

   Mr. Takashima: We are very much in favor of having Russia as a member of the multilateral discussions. Indeed, Japan and Russia are in close contact on this issue of North Korean nuclear development and so forth.

   Q: There have been reports that North Korea is willing to take the multilateral path. Has the Japanese Government had any confirmation or indication of this directly from the North Korean regime, either through direct or indirect means?

   Mr. Takashima: We have been in touch with North Korea through various channels, but we do not disclose the details of it. Having said that, I would like to point out that the statement made by the spokesperson of the North Korean foreign ministry yesterday indicated some sort of flexibility on the way the discussion would be held on the issue of North Korean nuclear development. We took note of it and hope that this will indicate a kind of sign of a better environment to have discussions or talks, including North Korea.

   Q: If the talks are launched, does Japan then plan to raise bilateral issues, such as abductions?

   Mr. Takashima: Japan has its own channel of discussion with the North Koreans, namely the normalization talks of the relations between Japan and North Korea. We are very much hopeful that the North Koreans will return to the negotiating table with us. This is a different fora for Japan to have discussions with the North Koreans. Bilateral issues would mainly be dealt with through this channel, namely the normalization talks. In addition to that, Japan and North Korea agreed to hold a security dialogue when Prime Minister Koizumi and Chairman Kim Jong Il signed the Japan-Democratic People's Republic of Korea Pyongyang Declaration last September.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
3. Question concerning travel advisories for the United States, London and Beijing

   Q: Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a travel advisory for the United States, London and Beijing. Do you have any idea on issuing other travel advisories?

   Mr. Takashima: We have been issuing travel advisories as well as travel warnings through consultations with the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as discussions between the Ministry and Japanese Embassies and Consulate Generals in those places concerned. If the situation becomes worse in terms of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), then we will have to consider issuing another travel advisory. At this moment, there is no specific idea or plan to issue additional ones. It simply depends upon the circumstances.

   Q: The last travel advisory, was that the one from last week or two weeks ago?

   Mr. Takashima: Yes, it was issued last Sunday for London and the United States to take caution, and to Beijing on last Saturday.

   Related Information (WHO | World Health Organization)
   
4. Question concerning the reconstruction of Iraq

   Q: With respect to Iraq, there are a varying number of estimates as to how much it will cost to reconstruct Iraq. They vary extremely widely from tens of billons of dollars to US$500 billion. One concrete issue that has come up is the issue of Iraq's debt. This was touched upon at a G7 meeting recently, but there was no particular commitment taken on that. As far as I am aware, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hitoshi Tanaka said this yesterday, Japan is number two in terms of the amount of Iraqi debt held at around US$6 billion. Is Japan considering taking the lead in this issue by forgiving this debt as a gesture to Iraq, as a way to get the ball rolling?

   Mr. Takashima: I understand this issue was taken up at the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting. So far as Japanese policy on Iraqi debt, there has been no decision made yet on whether we will write off the debt or whether we will do anything more. This issue would certainly be a subject of discussion at the Paris Club as well as London Club. Beyond that I have no comment at this moment.

   Q: In terms of the reconstruction work itself, Chairman Hiroshi Okuda of Keidanren said yesterday that in the case of Japan, the Japanese Government generally does not tend to give patronage for work outside the country to Japanese companies, as opposed to what happens in Europe or the United States. Companies now say even if they are interested in doing work in Iraq for post-war reconstruction, they do not know who to ask or where to go as no decision has been made whether this will be coordinated by the United Nations or whether it will be done simply through bilateral agreements or whether the United States will coordinate it. At the same time, American companies are signing contracts given by the United States government. I think there is a US$1.7 billion budget for the moment for reconstruction work in Iraq, and it gives them a foothold in the country. Is the Government in any way concerned that this inability to move forward Japanese companies will hurt corporate Japan while businesses in the United States and Europe are able to rush in to Iraq and wrap-up the work?

   Mr. Takashima: Awarding contracts to American companies is the decision made by the American government. We have nothing to do with this. So far as the Japanese Government is concerned, it has said that we do not have any plan or project or any sort of idea on what sort of reconstruction or rehabilitation work would be in Iraq in the days, months or years to come. It is simply impossible for me to discuss it at this moment from here on the possibility or impossibility of having Japanese corporations or companies joining in that scheme. It is simply up to the plan or project to be designated by the appropriate authorities in the future.

   Q: Just in terms of a general policy of Official Development Assistance (ODA) contracts, they are not necessarily confined to Japanese companies when they bid. It is opened to companies from any country-is that the case?

   Mr. Takashima: Tied and untied-there are two types of ODA. Which one would be the case for Iraqi reconstruction, I just have no idea at this moment.

   Q: What does a tied contract mean?

   Mr. Takashima: A tied contract means that once assistance is given, conditions would be attached to it, that the Japanese corporation or companies, or Japanese products would be used. Untied means that no restrictions or conditions are attached.

   Q: Do you know which one is more common?

   Mr. Takashima: As far as Japan is concerned, untied is more common.

   Q: Assistant Press Secretary Jiro Okuyama mentioned there is a project team in the Foreign Ministry to coordinate Japan's efforts toward Iraq. How is the progress of this team going forward, and has the team made any decisions yet or come up with any ideas on what Japan will do?

   Mr. Takashima: I do not have any progress report, but I know that the Task Force on Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq is working very hard on the things that Japan may or may not do in Iraq. But as for the details, I do not have any information to give you at this moment.

   Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)