Press Conference 27 May 2003
- Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the acceptance of the "roadmap" by both parties
- Emergency aid for earthquake disaster in the Democratic People's Republic of Algeria
- Assistance for rehabilitation of schools in Mongolia by the Trust Fund for Human Security
- Summary of recent three-nation visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
- Questions concerning Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to the Middle East
- Question concerning Prime Minister Koizumi's summit talks with President Bush
- Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the acceptance of the "roadmap" by both parties
Assistant Press Secretary Jiro Okuyama: Good afternoon. First of all, I would like to go through some of the press releases that we have recently issued. The first is the statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the acceptance of the roadmap by both the parties:
I welcome that on 25th of May, the Israeli Cabinet approved the "road map" which lays out a path towards peaceful coexistence of two states of Israel and Palestine and that, as a result, both Israeli and the Palestinian sides accepted the "road map."
Also, I highly praise that President Bush once again expressed his commitment to working toward Peace in the Middle East, as well as the implementation of the "road map."
As I urged both the Israeli and Palestinian sides during my visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, I hope both parties will steadily implement the "road map," in order for them to take the important step toward achieving Peace in the Middle East. Japan will actively cooperate in the implementation of the "road map."
Related Information (Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, on the Acceptance of the "roadmap" by the both parties)
- Emergency aid for earthquake disaster in the Democratic People's Republic of Algeria
Mr. Okuyama: Secondly, on the emergency aid for the earthquake disaster in Algeria.
On 27 May, the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency grant aid of US$100,000 to the Democratic People's Republic of Algeria.
Before dawn on 22 May, Algeria was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, with its seismic center in the Wilaya of Bourmerdes. According to the Interior Ministry of the country, as of the night of 25 May, 2,162 people were reported dead, 8,965 injured, and in addition, immense human and material damage, including collapsed buildings, was left.
The Government of Algeria has established an emergency headquarters, making self-help efforts toward recovery, but still needs further assistance from the international community and has requested emergency assistance from the Government of Japan.
From a humanitarian point of view on assisting the victims of the disaster, taking into account the friendly relations between Japan and Algeria, the Government of Japan has decided to extend assistance.
Before this emergency grant aid, the Government of Japan already dispatched a Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) rescue team of 61 persons from 22 to 29 May, and a JDR medical team of 22 persons from 25 May to 7 June. Both teams are now carrying out search, rescue and medical operations in the country and on 23 May, the rescue team recovered a survivor in Zemmouri, the Wilaya of Boumerdes.
Related Information (Emergency Aid for Earthquake Disaster in Algeria)
Related Information (Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief medical team for Earthquake Disaster in Algeria)
Related Information (Emergency Assistance for Earthquake Disaster in Algeria)
- Assistance for rehabilitation of schools in Mongolia by the Trust Fund for Human Security
Mr. Okuyama: Thirdly, the announcement about the assistance for rehabilitation of schools in Mongolia by the Trust Fund for Human Security.
On 27 May, the Government of Japan and the United Nations (UN) decided to extend a total of US$504,463.01 assistance through the Trust Fund for Human Security to a project "Rehabilitation of Boarding Schools and Provision of Refresher Training Course for Headmasters and Teachers in the Dzud*-affected Gobi Desert Provinces in Mongolia." This project will be implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The goal of the project is to improve the quality of education in Mongolia by providing safe learning environments and living conditions for all children. The project will cover three provinces, Dundgobi, Bayankhongor and Zavkhan, where severe natural disaster struck recently. Activities include rehabilitation of boarding schools, training of headmasters and teachers, and development of training material on educational psychology and counseling.
This project is expected to improve the quality of education provided to students by raising teachers' motivation, confidences and commitment to their profession.
*Dzud: natural disaster affecting livestock caused by severe winter conditions
Related Information (Assistance for Rehabilitation of Schools in Mongolia by the Trust Fund for Human Security)
- Summary of recent three-nation visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
Mr. Okuyama: Lastly, just to give you a very brief summary of what Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did in the United States and the Middle East.
Prime Minister Koizumi visited the United States of America, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 22 to 26 May.
On 23 May, Prime Minister Koizumi held Japan-US summit talks at the private residence of President George W. Bush in the state of Texas. During the summit talks, the two sides agreed to reinforce the Japan-US alliance in a global context on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of exchanges between Japan and the US. They had very frank discussion on matters of urgent concern such as the fight against terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, North Korea, Iraq and the Middle East, in addition to the Japan-US security arrangements and the state of the two economies.
In Egypt, Prime Minister Koizumi talked with President Hosny Mubarak on 24 May and discussed the reinforcement of bilateral relations as well as how to promote cooperative relations between Japan and the Arab world. On the latter topic, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed that he would reinforce policies centering on the three pillars: the humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq, the Middle East peace process and Japan's dialogue with the Arab world and Islamic countries for the sake of contributing to the peace and stability of the Middle East region. President Mubarak gave his support and agreement to Prime Minister Koizumi's views.
Prime Minister Koizumi was in Saudi Arabia on 25 May and held talks with Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and was also received in audience by His Majesty King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz. Prime Minister Koizumi exchanged views with the Saudi Arabian side on such issues as Iraq, Middle East peace and reinforcement of Japan's dialogue with Arab and Islamic countries, the fight against terrorism and the reinforcement of bilateral relations in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia coming up in 2005.
Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
Related Information (Japan's Measures Toward the Middle East Peace Process)
- Questions concerning Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to the Middle East
Q: Do you have any specific details about Prime Minister Koizumi's talks in Egypt and Saudi Arabia?
Mr. Okuyama: Basically, there are three main pillars. In addition to bilateral issues, they discussed assistance to Iraq, the Middle East peace process and Japan's dialogue with the Arab and the Islamic world. What Prime Minister Koizumi discussed with Egypt and Saudi Arabia under these three pillars is more or less the same. Therefore, I will tell you about these common segments first.
On Iraq, Prime Minister Koizumi explained Japan's policies on Iraqi reconstruction assistance and he underlined the need to reestablish international collaboration and a spirit of solidarity within the international community in dealing with the reconstruction process. He said that he would like to explore possibilities of joint endeavors both with Egypt and with Saudi Arabia to assist in the process of reconstruction.
With Egypt, we are now considering a joint medical expert mission with the cooperation of the World Health Organization (WHO) for which we will send experts to examine the situation of hospitals in Iraq. In this connection, there are 13 hospitals in Iraq which Japan either established or assisted in establishing. Furthermore, Egypt is known to have good doctors and medical experts and we are hoping that this joint endeavor will materialize but the details need to be worked out in the near future. With Saudi Arabia, we are still discussing, but we are pursuing a possibility for a joint endeavor to help with the reconstruction of Iraq.
On 21 May, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi announced additional measures of approximately US$50 million for the humanitarian and reconstruction assistance of Iraq which is within the ceiling of the previously pledged amount of US$100 million that Japan announced in response to the United Nations flash appeal for the humanitarian requirements of the Iraq crisis.
In the same vein, Japan is of the view that an international conference on reconstruction of Iraq should be organized under a broad international umbrella with the participation of related international organizations, such as the United Nations, and with broad participation of various countries concerned. Japan is ready to assist in organizing such an international conference on the reconstruction of Iraq.
Prime Minister Koizumi did not directly refer to this idea of Japan calling for this international conference in his discussions with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but there was an indirect reference to this international conference when he mentioned that Japan would like to reinforce the joint efforts with the Arab and the Islamic world to help in the Iraqi reconstruction process.
On the Middle East peace process, I would like to draw your attention to Japan's diplomatic efforts including Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's visit at the end of April to the Middle East and her unveiling of the package of new assistance measures to the Palestinian Autonomous Territories to assist in humanitarian efforts and assistance for reforms, and state-building and confidence- building measures. As part of our diplomatic efforts, we held a confidence-building conference last week in Tokyo and we are expecting another one at some point in the future.
On the dialogue with Arab and Islamic countries, Prime Minister Koizumi mentioned that he would like to establish a dialogue forum with the Arab world and he would appoint an influential person to attend this forum from the Japanese side. Likewise, he hoped that both Egypt and Saudi Arabia would appoint an appropriate person to attend this forum, and the two countries agreed.
The second heading under this dialogue is the dispatch of a cultural exchange mission to Arab countries. Although the details need to be worked out, we are hoping to send a mission to various countries in the Arab world.
The third pillar is a seminar on Japan's dialogue with Islam as part of the dialogue among civilizations. We have been doing this for some time since the tenure of former Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and we are hoping to continue to do this. The second seminar, which was supposed to take place, had to be postponed because of the situation in Iraq. Therefore, we are hoping to hold another one this autumn.
Here are the topics that Prime Minister Koizumi raised in the bilateral context. For Egypt, Prime Minister Koizumi announced that Japan would like to open a new chapter with Egypt in the 21st century and he announced assistance in the amount of more than US$200 million to the ongoing projects involving two yen loan projects as well as one grant assistance project. For future cooperation, he referred to water supply irrigation and infrastructure building as priority areas for Egypt.
With regard to Saudi Arabia, he hoped that 2005, which will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Saudi Arabia, would be a fruitful year and in the run-up to that year, Japan would like to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in such areas as desalination of sea water in which both Japan and Saudi Arabia take interest.
Q: Did he discuss any oil-related issues in Saudi Arabia?
Mr. Okuyama: There was no discussion about oil projects managed by Japanese companies. Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his respect for Saudi efforts at stabilizing the international oil market in the midst of the military actions in Iraq. In response, the Crown Prince said that they made efforts at stabilization through the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and that he was appreciative of Japan's support for the International Energy Forum.
Q: Have any dates been set for the seminar on dialogue with the Islamic world?
Mr. Okuyama: No dates have been set yet.
Q: What about the international conference on reconstruction of Iraq?
Mr. Okuyama: It is something that Japan will assist in rather than host. The idea Japan is suggesting is that this international conference be held under a broad international umbrella. Perhaps it is desirable that it be hosted by an international organization such as the United Nations rather than by one particular country or a number of countries. So we have floated this idea and it is out there, but it is an idea that has just been born and there is no specific date as such that we can predict with any precision at this moment.
Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
Related Information (Japan's Measures Toward the Middle East Peace Process)
- Question concerning Prime Minister Koizumi's summit talks with President Bush
Q: Regarding the summit in Texas on the weekend, President Bush had made a request to Prime Minister Koizumi for the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces (SDF). I am wondering, what is the Government's stance right now on the matter? Is there a necessity for it at all?
Mr. Okuyama: If I can just draw your attention to the record of what Prime Minister Koizumi said in Crawford, Texas. On the issue of Iraq, he said in response to a question that, "Now that the UN resolution has passed, upon return to Japan, we shall study in detail what Japan can do for the reconstruction of Iraq. At any rate, what Japan can do to help in the reconstruction of Iraq is a matter for Japan to decide.
I also believe that it is important that Japan make contributions for Iraq's reconstruction in a prudent manner in view of Japan's own strength and we shall cooperate with the United Nations for the reconstruction of Iraq. We shall consider what Japan can do as an initiative-taking country for the reconstruction of Iraq."
This is what Prime Minister Koizumi said in Crawford in response to a journalist's question, and we are now considering the cooperation through use of Self-Defense Forces for the sake of Iraq's reconstruction fully taking into account the current needs for humanitarian assistance in Iraq as well as the needs for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Furthermore, we are paying careful attention to what the international community is doing in terms of this cooperation.
At the summit talks in Crawford, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his intention to engage SDF in the transport of humanitarian goods in the neighboring countries of Iraq under the existing domestic law of Japan. This idea was highly welcomed by President Bush.
At any rate, what Japan may be able to do in the future to further assist in the reconstruction of Iraq is something that we will consider including the possible cooperation by the SDF so that Japan could make appropriate contributions in accordance with its own strengths and capabilities.
Q: Did he discuss in Saudi Arabia this idea of sending SDF to Iraq?
Mr. Okuyama: What Prime Minister Koizumi said to Egypt and Saudi Arabia in terms of Japan's assistance to Iraq was of a more general nature and he did not go into the specifics such as use of SDF.
Q: Just to clarify, you earlier mentioned that Prime Minister Koizumi had mentioned at the summit that he hoped that the SDF could be involved in the transportation of humanitarian goods in the neighboring countries. Those neighboring countries would include Saudi Arabia?
Mr. Okuyama: That is something that we shall have to see. For example, we used SDF aircraft to fly 100 tents to the Kingdom of Jordan before. However, as far as the other needs and requirements are concerned, we are still checking and we need to see if Saudi Arabia would be included among the neighboring countries.
Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
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