Press Conference 16 January 2004
- Emergency grant assistance for Iraq's reconstruction
- Telephone conversation between Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi and Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America
- Statement by Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations on the election of the new President of Georgia
- Protest by Japan against Republic of Korea regarding issuance of postal stamps depicting Takeshima Island
- Follow-up question concerning protest of postage stamps
- Questions concerning visit to Pyongyang by group of Japanese diplomats
- Question concerning rotation of US troops in Okinawa
- Question concerning resignation of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-Kwan of the Republic of Korea
- Question concerning security situation in Tokyo
- Question concerning development of Azadegan oil fields in Iran
- Question concerning recent visit to Iran by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi
- Question concerning participation of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials in dispatch of SDF
- Emergency grant assistance for Iraq's reconstruction
Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you for coming to the briefing. Today I have four announcements I would like to make before taking questions.
The first announcement is about Japan's assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq.
The Government of Japan today decided to extend US$37.8 million worth of assistance for Iraq's reconstruction. This assistance is part of Japan's commitment of US$5 billion for Iraq and consists of three different projects:
The first is the provision of 620 police vehicles to be deployed in 27 cities through the Iraqi Police Service and the Department of Border Enforcement. This project will also include two sets of vehicle maintenance equipment to be used at two workshops in Baghdad.
The second is for school rehabilitation. A total of US$6 million will be spent to rehabilitate 271 schools in four cities in Iraq to give an appropriate educational environment for Iraqi children. This project is expected to create between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs a day in these cities. This project will be implemented through the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).
The third is community rehabilitation through rehabilitating 3,000 damaged houses in three cities in Iraq. The beneficiaries will be selected from vulnerable groups particularly from households headed by widows. This project will create 700 to 800 jobs a day and will be carried out by, once again, UN-HABITAT.
Related Information (Emergency Grant Assistance for Iraq's Reconstruction)
- Telephone conversation between Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi and Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America
Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is about the telephone conversation between Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi and Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America.
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi last night held a telephone conversation with Secretary Powell for about 25 minutes. Taking this opportunity, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi explained her recent trip to Iran and said that it was necessary for Japan and the United States, and indeed the international community as a whole, to keep on cooperating in resolving Iran's nuclear issues.
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi and Secretary Powell also agreed to continue close coordination in forming North Korean policy aiming at a peaceful solution of the nuclear issues.
They also discussed the Iraqi situation and Foreign Minister Kawaguchi explained the Japanese Government's decision to dispatch Ground and Air Self Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to Iraq as part of Japan's assistance for Iraq's reconstruction.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
- Statement by Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations on the election of the new President of Georgia
Mr. Takashima: The third announcement is about the election of Georgia's new president.
The Government of Japan welcomes the election of Mr. Mikhail Saakashvili as the President of Georgia.
From Japan, three election monitors participated in the election monitoring program organized by the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). I am pleased to acknowledge that these monitors found that the election was generally carried out in a free and fair manner.
The Government of Japan hopes that Georgia will make further advancement toward peace, stability and prosperity under the leadership of President Saakashvili. At the same time, Japan will also continue to assist Georgia's effort to make reform toward democratization and a market economy.
Related Information (Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Presidential Election in Georgia)
- Protest by Japan against Republic of Korea regarding issuance of postal stamps depicting Takeshima Island
Mr. Takashima: The fourth announcement is about Japan's protest to the Republic of Korea on the issuance of a stamp bearing an image of Takeshima Island. Today, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi invited Ambassador of the Republic ofKorea in Japan Cho Se-hyung to the Foreign Ministry and protested the issuance by the Government of the Republic of Korea of postal stamps bearing the picture of Takeshima Island, which is historically and legally Japanese sovereign territory.
She also made a protest on the issuance of the same type of postage stamp by the Republic of Korea the year before last.
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi said that it is against the Charter of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to issue postage stamps using the picture of disputed issues between countries. She said that Japan will notify the Director General of the Universal Postal Union to let the member countries know about the Japanese policy and stance on this issue.
Related Information (Japan-Republic of Korea Relations)
- Follow-up question concerning protest of postage stamps
Q: Regarding these post stamps, what was the response from the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea?
Mr. Takashima: Ambassador Cho Se-hyung explained the widely-known Korean position, and also at the same time, he promised that he would report what he had heard from Foreign Minister Kawaguchi on the Japanese position. However, at the same time, they both agreed that this issue should not jeopardize Japan-ROK relations.
Related Information (Japan-Republic of Korea Relations)
- Questions concerning visit to Pyongyang by group of Japanese diplomats
Q: I understand that a group of Japanese diplomats is visiting North Korea. Can you tell us why that is?
Mr. Takashima: The four diplomats are now in Pyongyang with the aim of finding out the state of the two Japanese nationals currently being held by the North Korean authorities in Pyongyang.
My understanding is that they met those two Japanese yesterday. Other details are still unknown to us. They will be leaving Pyongyang tomorrow, and one of the diplomats, who is an official of the Northeast Asian Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will return to Tokyo straight away.
Q: Is he going to hold a briefing?
Mr. Takashima: I am not quite sure if he himself will be giving a briefing, but we are thinking of holding some sort of briefing or at least inform the press of what we have found through this visit to Pyongyang.
Q: Regarding the same visit to North Korea, was there or will there be any talk regarding the return of the children of those abductees who have returned to Japan?
Mr. Takashima: The main purpose of the visit is to deal with the issue of these two Japanese nationals. As for additional issues, whether the North Korea side is willing to discuss other issues still remains to be seen because the diplomats are still in Pyongyang and we do not know what is going on today.
Q: I saw on some television report comments from Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda talking about the action which Member of the House of Representatives Katsuei Hirasawa took? Is there any comment coming from the Foreign Ministry regarding the agreement between Mr. Hirasawa and North Korea? Has it had any effect on the Japanese Government's policy or any relationship or have there been any arguments?
Mr. Takashima: We have received some follow-up reports from those who met with North Korean officials in Beijing. The Government of Japan has been communicating with the North Korean authorities through official channels including the embassy channel in Beijing, and we are still waiting for the official reply through that channel, if and when those responses are received by the Government of Japan, then we would make our position known to them. Furthermore, if there is anything that we can announce, we will do so.
It is true that we are now sensing some sort of sign of change in attitude of North Korea through various aspects, but we are still not in a position to take it as an official change of the policy of North Korea since we have not received any sort of official word from them. However, we are continuing to urge North Korea firstly to resolve this abduction issue as quickly as possible and return those eight people who are still being held in North Korea to Japan and their families, and also to reopen the negotiations between Japan and North Korea, and at the same time for the early holding of the six-party talks without any conditions. That is our position and we are now waiting for their reply.
Q: What is your expectation from these diplomats' visit to North Korea?
Mr. Takashima: Since there is a very limited amount of communication being held between them and us, I think we should refrain from predicting anything. We will simply wait for their return.
Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
- Question concerning rotation of US troops in Okinawa
Q: This has not been widely reported, but the United States is going to dispatch 2,500 marines from Okinawa. Are there any words from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because it will certainly influence the security in the Okinawa region? At the same time, we are facing some certain change of the atmosphere with North Korea and the Republic of Korea through various issues. I just wondered whether Japan as a country has some words for the American troops being sent to Iraq?
Mr. Takashima: My understanding is that this is a decision of the Department of Defense of the United States as part of the rotational change of troops stationed in Iraq and also in Okinawa. We understand that this transfer or move will include, to some extent, the unit stationed in Okinawa.
At the same time, we understand that the United States will take appropriate measures not to lessen the security arrangement in Okinawa, and also Japan and its vicinity. Since this is part of a regular operation of the United States forces, we are not in a position to make any comment.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
- Question concerning resignation of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-Kwan of the Republic of Korea
Q: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-Kwan of the Republic of Korea suddenly resigned, what is your viewpoint?
Mr. Takashima: This is a domestic issue of the Republic of Korea and we are not in a position to make any other comment, but we believe that this will not change our very close coordination on various issues between Japan and the Republic of Korea, including our policy toward North Korea.
Related Information (Japan-Republic of Korea Relations)
- Question concerning security situation in Tokyo
Q: On security, I noticed in the past week that in subways and at hotels in Tokyo such as the New Otani or the Akasaka Prince Hotel, security has been tightened. I heard on television that there was a rumor of a threat from Al-Qaeda. Has there been any special threat being made against the Government of Japan or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? I heard some rumors but none of them were from trustworthy sources, so I am just wondering if you have any information. What kind of threat has been sent to the Japanese Government?
Mr. Takashima: We usually do not make any comment on security issues. At the same time, I can recognize that there was a press report that some terrorist group openly said that the "heart of Tokyo" will be a target of terrorist attack once the SDF were dispatched to Iraq.
Therefore, the Government of Japan is taking necessary measures to tighten the security in Tokyo and other places in Japan to protect the people and property. At the same time, I do not think that there was any other specific warning or possibility of threat addressed to the Government of Japan or any other parties at this point. These are just general measures taken by the agencies of the Government of Japan.
Q: The reason I am asking is that at the time of 9/11, later on, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States announced that there was a warning of the Al-Qaeda planning an attack, which the American Government had ignored. I was wondering whether if the Government had received any kind of threat, should the people not be told?
Mr. Takashima: Once again, my understanding is that, I repeat, there has not been any sort of specific threat. However, there has been the press report that a terrorist group said that the "heart of Tokyo" would be the target. We take it seriously and we have been taking necessary measures to cope with that.
- Question concerning development of Azadegan oil fields in Iran
Q: What is the status of the negotiations between Japan and Iran on the arrangement for Japanese participation in the exploration of the Azadegan oil field?
Mr. Takashima: The negotiations are still under way in a very serious manner. We do not know when they will be finished, but the Governments of Japan and Iran are both hoping that these negotiations will be concluded successfully in due course.
Related Information (Japan-Iran Relations)
- Question concerning recent visit to Iran by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi
Q: Can you tell us about the results of the visit to Iran by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi?
Mr. Takashima: The purpose of Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's visit to Iran was threefold.
First was to express her personal sympathy and condolences to the victims of the Iranian earthquake toward the end of last year which destroyed the city of Bam. Second, to explain the Japanese assistance to Iraq's reconstruction including the dispatch of SDF and seek for the understanding and support of the Iranian Government. Third, to strengthen bilateral relations between Japan and Iran.
For the first part, she received words of thanks from the Iranian leaders that the Japanese Government has been working so effectively in helping the victims of the Iranian earthquake. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi also said that Japan would further assist Iran to reconstruct the city of Bam and aid the people who have suffered injury or damage.
On the Iraqi issue, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi was pleased to learn that she could gain the understanding of the Iranian leaders on the Japanese sincere effort to assist the reconstruction of Iraq, including the dispatch of SDF to help the Iraqi people to rebuild their nation.
She was also pleased to have been able to strengthen the bilateral relations between Japan and Iran, including the agreement in principle to cooperate in rehabilitating the wetland in the southern part of Iraq which was destroyed by the Saddam Hussein regime.
Related Information (Japan-Iran Relations)
- Question concerning participation of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials in dispatch of SDF
Q: How many Foreign Ministry diplomats are involved in the dispatch of SDF and what will be their role?
Mr. Takashima: There will be some officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who will accompany the advance team of the SDF dispatched to Kuwait and Iraq. For security reasons, we do not disclose the exact number, but most of them are Arabic speakers.
Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
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