Press Conference 13 June 2003

1. Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on a Palestinian suicide bombing in Israel and the Israeli counter-attack
2. Dispatch of Japanese survey mission for assistance to Iraq
3. Question concerning safety in Iraq
4. Question concerning meeting of the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG)
5. Question concerning upcoming visit to Japan by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers
6. Question concerning "Human Trafficking Report" by United States State Department
7. Question concerning North Korean ship Man Gyong Bong-92

1. Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on a Palestinian suicide bombing in Israel and the Israeli counter-attack

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

   The first announcement is about the situation in the Middle East.

   Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi issued a statement condemning the worsening cycle of violence in the Palestinian and Israeli region. In her statement, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi reiterated the firm conviction of the Government of Japan that terrorism cannot be justified for any reason, and that fighting against violence by Palestinian extremists is indispensable in order to achieve peace in the Middle East.

   At the same time, the Government of Japan believes that Israeli attacks in Gaza in response to the suicide attack do not serve for the improvement of the situation. The Government of Japan feels that it is extremely deplorable that such incidents took place, when the sincere efforts for progress in the Middle East peace by the Israelis and the Palestinians, as well as the international society centering on the United States are just about to start.

   The Government of Japan urges the Palestinian Authority to exert its utmost efforts to control extremists, and strongly wishes that the both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, exercise their maximum self-restraints and continue dialogue for peace.

   Related Information (Statement by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on a Palestinian Suicide Bombing in Israel and the Israeli Counter-attacks)
   
2. Dispatch of Japanese survey mission for assistance to Iraq

   Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is about the survey mission to Iraq.

   The Government of Japan has decided to dispatch a survey mission for assistance to Iraq from 15 to 23 June to Baghdad and Basra.

   This mission will include members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

   The survey mission aims at embodying Japan's measures for the humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq which was announced on 21 May.

   Related Information (Dispatch of Survey Mission for Assistance to Iraq)
   
3. Question concerning safety to Iraq

   Q: Regarding your second announcement, there have been reports of some of the largest clashes between the allied forces and Iraqi remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime outside of Baghdad. If such skirmishes or clashes continue, would that perhaps affect a dispatch of the Japanese Government's survey mission?

   Mr. Takashima: We are very much concerned that the security has not been fully established yet in Iraq and our representatives in Baghdad are constantly monitoring the situation. The survey team will visit Baghdad and Basra as scheduled but the members have been instructed to take caution for their own security and at the same time also monitor the situation there as part of their survey.

4. Question concerning meeting of the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG)

   Q: I have a question not directly related to either of your announcements, but I understand that the meeting of the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) started or will be starting today. I was just wondering if you could clarify what Japan wants to see achieved in this meeting specifically?

   Mr. Takashima: This TCOG meeting is being held right now in Hawaii. Through this meeting, the Government of Japan expects that policy coordination on the North Korea issues among the three countries-Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America-will be well established through exchange of views from each side. We hope that this meeting will reaffirm our strong commitment for a peaceful and diplomatic solution of the North Korean nuclear issues.

   Q: There has been a lot of talk about further measures that could be taken in case North Korea escalates the crisis. The question is, will this be an issue discussed and do you have any details of that?

   Mr. Takashima: During the discussion, it is expected that each representative present their view on the situation concerning the North Korean nuclear issue and other issues. At the same time, each representative will explain actual policies and measures that they have been taking respectively. However, the details cannot be disclosed due to the apparent reason that it directly relates to an ongoing negotiation.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
5. Question concerning upcoming visit to Japan by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers

   Q: Another totally unrelated question, I understand that next week Mr. Ruud Lubbers, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will be visiting Japan to attend an international symposium which will be co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It says that this symposium will be focusing on African refugees and Japan's new partnership with UNHCR. Can you elaborate on what this new partnership is?

   Mr. Takashima: Actually, the Government of Japan is one of the major supporters of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We are making constant efforts to assist in their work.

   This visit by High Commissioner Lubbers is a very good opportunity for the Government of Japan to exchange views between Japan and the UNHCR. Through that sort of exchange of views and policy coordination, we can reaffirm our commitment toward assistance and endorsement of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, and we will express our support for them. However, I do not have any details at this time, but I can check on it later.

   Q: Specifically regarding African refugees, is that a new kind of possible main focus that Japan and the UNHCR will work on together?

   Mr. Takashima: This year we are focusing on Africa because we are organizing the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) in fall. Therefore, African refugees is one of the agenda items on which priority will be placed among ourselves.

   Q: Before you mentioned that you cannot mention details right now, but is there a possibility that we might get international contributions to agencies such as the UNHCR? It seems contributions are heading toward a plateau or declining, but do you think that there would be any possibility of new pledges of commitment or financial contribution?

   Mr. Takashima: Generally speaking, Japanese contributions to the international organizations have been rather restrained because of the financial situation and budgetary restraints of the Government. However, on the question you have raised, I do not have any information.

   Related Information (The International Symposium on Refugees in Africa will be held in commemoration of World Refugee Day (WRD))
   Related Information (The Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III))
   
6. Question concerning "Human Trafficking Report" by United States State Department

   Q: According to the Mainichi Shimbun this morning, the United States State Department has issued its annual report on human trafficking. In the report-and this is the third time that it is issuing this report, I believe, but-it ranked Japan as a second-tier nation. It was the same rank that Japan was given last year. In a way, they are saying that Japan is making an effort, but it is just not enough. Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any response to this?

   Mr. Takashima: I have not seen the full report yet, so I do not have an immediate comment on that. However, it is regrettable that Japan was placed according to that Mainichi Shimbun report as one of the low-level nations in regard to those deplorable activities.

7. Question concerning North Korean ship Man Gyong Bong-92

   Q: There has been a North Korean statement, not a government statement but by a group called the Korea-Japan Friendship Association, saying that the Japanese measures taken against the North Korean cargo passenger ship, Man Gyong Bong-92, may nullify the Japan-Democratic People's Republic of Korea Pyongyang Declaration. How does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs see this?

   Mr. Takashima: I realize that there has been that sort of report on the statement issued by the North Korean side. However, as far as Japan is concerned, the measures that we thought of possibly taking for this North Korean vessel was simply based upon the existing laws and regulations in terms of the safety and quality of the ship, which would have to be applied to any ship coming into Japanese ports.

   In this way, this has no connection with the Pyongyang Declaration. On the contrary, the Government of Japan regards the Pyongyang Declaration as still valid for giving the future course of the negotiation for the normalization of the relations between Japan and North Korea. We hope that the North Korean side take the same view on this and return to the negotiation table with the Japanese side as soon as possible.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)