Press Conference, 6 November 2008

Statement of congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama of the United States
The dispatch of special envoys to the Republic of Korea
Visit to Japan by His Majesty King Juan Carlos of the Kingdom of Spain and Her Majesty Queen Sofia
Japan to host the 5th Summit Meeting between Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
Establishment of Maritime Security Policy Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Questions concerning the upcoming APEC meeting in Lima
Question concerning the upcoming G20 Summit Meeting in Washington
Questions concerning Japan's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council
Questions concerning the attendance of non-G20 member countries at the G20 Summit Meeting in Washington
Question concerning the visit to Japan of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain
Questions concerning the dispatch of special envoys to the Republic of Korea

I. Statement of congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama of the United States

Deputy Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura: Good afternoon. Welcome to the conference.

I have five announcements at the outset.

First, on the US presidential election, Prime Minister Aso issued a statement to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama yesterday, Wednesday, the 5th. In the statement, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the Japan-US alliance for peace and stability in Asia and the Pacific and also expressed his wish to work with President-elect Obama to resolve various global challenges such as the world economy, terrorism, and environment.

II. The dispatch of special envoys to the Republic of Korea

Mr. Kawamura: Second, the Government of Japan has dispatched today, the 6th, special envoys of Prime Minister Aso to the Republic of Korea. The envoys are Mr. Toyoo Gyoten and Mr. Yoshiji Nogami. They will deliver Prime Minister Aso's personal letter to President Lee Myun-bak, and will meet with the key Korean Government officials to discuss the current international financial and economic issues. The main purpose of this special mission is the preparation for the upcoming Washington Summit on the 15th.

III. Visit to Japan by His Majesty King Juan Carlos of the Kingdom of Spain and Her Majesty Queen Sofia

Mr. Kawamura: Third, Japan welcomes the state visit of His Majesty Juan Carlos I, The King of the Kingdom of Spain and Her Majesty the Queen Sofia. Their Majesties will visit Japan from Sunday, the 9th to Friday, the 14th. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan will host a state banquet in honor of the King and Queen on Monday, the 10th. Their majesties will also visit Japanese local regions, including Kyoto in the middle of the autumn foliage.

Related Information (Press Release)

IV. Japan to host the 5th Summit Meeting between Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)

Mr. Kawamura: Fourth, Japan has decided to host the 5th Summit Meeting between Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum, or PIF, in Tomamu Town, Hokkaido in late May next year, 2009. Together with Niue, Japan will co-chair the Meeting, in which the leaders of 14 PIF member nations and 2 regions are expected to follow up the Leaders' Declaration, entitled "Okinawa Partnership for a More Robust and Prosperous Pacific Region," which was adopted at the fourth summit meeting in Okinawa in 2006, and to focus on common issues such as climate change.

V. Establishment of Maritime Security Policy Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Kawamura: The fifth and last announcement is rather a house-keeping matter. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a new division called the Maritime Security Policy Division. In view of the country's high dependence on imports of energy and material resources and food, Japan considers safety of the world's sea lanes essential for national existence and prosperity. This new division will plan external policies to ensure maritime security including navigational security and countermeasures against terrorism and piracy.

As you may know, Japan has long been working with the international community on maritime security, especially in Asia. In the legal aspect, for example, Japan initiated and developed a legal framework called Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, or ReCAAP, which is regarded as a successful model of regional cooperation. In the financial aspect, Japan has provided grant aid to the maritime security agencies of the related nations including Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam to enforce the safety of sea lanes.

That's all I have for you today. I now invite your questions, please.

Related Information (Press Release)

VI. Questions concerning the upcoming APEC meeting in Lima

Q: I would like to know what is the position of Japan for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Lima on November 22. What are they going to discuss there, or what are their plans?

Mr. Kawamura: As far as I understand the upcoming APEC would naturally focus on the world financial situations. They have their own agenda which succeeded from the previous round of discussions. Therefore, it will be based upon that format, which has a broader range of subjects, such as the Doha Round negotiations, and the liberalization efforts of the trade and investment mechanisms of the Asia-Pacific region. But following that arranged format of agenda the leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing economic situations which confront the international community. So I believe they will discuss also the current situations as well.

Q: And the position of Japan, will they defend their kind of policy, or will they recommend something?

Mr. Kawamura: At this particular moment we are first looking at the upcoming Washington meeting, which comprises twenty nations on November 15th. Prime Minister Aso and the government staffs are concentrating on how Japan will cooperate with the United States, the chair, and the other participating leaders for the successful conclusion of the meeting. The APEC is coming soon after that conference, so we will see those two occasions in a kind of sequence, but as I said before the APEC has also its own set of agenda. It has a long history of the liberalization of the region's economy, for creating more investment-friendly regimes and others.

Q: If I can follow up on what you were saying now, about the G20, could you explain if for example Japan is going to tell the other countries about their experiences in recovering from a crisis? Will they try to strengthen the international role of Japan as a political power, not only an economic one?

Mr. Kawamura: We have sent the special envoys to Korea to explain Japan's position on the Summit Meeting in Washington, and beyond that, in general, how to cope with the current international financial crisis. Japan's suggestions will include a couple of points. First, the implementation of the G7 Plan of Action, which was agreed last month. Second, the review of the regulation of financial institutions and the financial markets. Third, to strengthen the functions of international financial systems. Fourth, appropriate macroeconomic management to sustain the world economy. And fifth, to strengthen the assistance to small and medium economies as well as developing countries. So those are the main areas of Japan's interests, and also we expect further discussions with the participating leaders in Washington, and hopefully we will conclude in a very upbeat and successful outcome.

For the mission that has just been dispatched to Korea, they also convey Japan's interests and thoughts concerning those points, and also in the Asian context we have our own agenda including the current financial crisis. So, combining those elements collected in Korea together at the Summit Meeting which is planned on the 15th, Japan would hope to jointly work with the United States for a successful outcome of the conference.

You also asked about the leadership of Japan. To put it simply, we had reviewed the lost decade, after the bursting of the bubble economy, and responded in an appropriate manner to the issues such as bad loans, transparency, and corporate governance. The fact is, Japan has made vigorous reforms of its financial systems over the past decade, and has achieved a healthy physique. And then the storm has arrived. So as you just mentioned, Japan has these particular experiences in the past which were rather similar to the situations that the rest of the international community is facing. Therefore we have learnt abundant lessons and experience through the previous financial crisis which affected all the Asian countries. As a result of such Japanese responses to the previous crisis, as also Mr. Aso underlined, though the current situation is described as "a once in a century financial crisis," Japan's financial system compared with those of the other countries remains relatively stable. We are in rather a good position to give advice, and share our experiences and policy lessons with the rest of the participating leaders.

Having said that, the turbulence in the global financial system will certainly affect the real economy of the world, including Japan. We are not the exception of the storm through the stock and bond market and also the real market. So we will also have the need to respond correctly to this second wave of problems. Prime Minister Aso now has initiated a series of responses, policy, packages. Toward the Washington conference we will be implementing those measures and prepare for the meeting. That is where we are. Prime Minister Aso is very eager to attend the conference if the Diet parliamentary schedule permits it.

Related Information (APEC 2008)

VII. Question concerning the upcoming G20 Summit Meeting in Washington

Q: Is Japan going to share with the American counterparts the measures that Prime Minister Aso is implementing here now, like to try to tell them we have done this, and maybe you could do it?

Mr. Kawamura: One cannot prejudge how Prime Minister Aso will share the experiences, but most probably he will be happy to share experiences and lessons, moreover not limited to the past experiences, but will also focus on what to do immediately now and in the future along the line with the five points.

VIII. Questions concerning Japan's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council

Q: Japan has become a member in the United Nations Security Council, and I have two questions about that. First, what is the important thing for Japan to be a member of that institution?

Mr. Kawamura: Japan considers that it is well qualified to be a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, and Japan has held this basic stance for quite some time, and will still keep this sense of mission as being appropriate. Japan has provided wholehearted support for the United Nations system in the form of official assistance to the developing nations and the United Nations security activities, as well as other forms of cooperation for the peace and stability initiatives under the United Nations. We continue to think that we need to respond correctly to the expectations of the rest of the international community. Recently Japan was elected again for the seat of one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council. The mandate will start from January 2009, and we will do our utmost to fulfill the mandate for the United Nations' community.

Q: What about the story of Japan in Asia? I think that China does not agree if Japan still wants to be a member of the Security Council.

Mr. Kawamura: The keyword is cooperation and synergy. We are not thinking of the UN Security Council issue as a zero-sum game. Rather we will seek a broad synergy effect with cooperation and understanding of the regional members. We want to together fulfill more missions under the United Nations framework. So Japan will further promote cooperation with the regional members of the United Nations, including China.

Q: What about the expectations of Muslim countries, such as Indonesia? I think that Indonesia agrees for Japan to be a member, because Japan is a part of Asia, so Japan can be more active to make visible the situation especially in Asia.

Mr. Kawamura: I would like to appreciate and be grateful for the encouragement that was extended especially from Asia to Japan with an expectation for a more active role in the United Nations, or in Asia in general. One salient point in terms of actions in Asia is Japan's response to the current financial crisis. Take the example of the recent Asia Europe leader's conference, called ASEM, which was held in Beijing last month. Prime Minister Aso attended and made a great contribution to the successful declaration on the financial and other issues policy statement, which calls for the balanced regulations of the financial market and strengthening of the IMF functions. It contains a lot of positive proactive points. That is one good example of the initiatives taken by Japan.

In addition today we sent a special envoy mission to Korea, to discuss what is needed to rescue the world economy out of the crisis. These are the most recent initiatives Japan has taken.

Toward the November 15 Washington conference, of course, as I said today, Prime Minister Aso is prepared to do more for the successful conclusion.

In general Japan has done so much for the good of Asia. I have witnessed many contributions towards South East Asia, especially in Indonesia, for its sound development, and it worked. So upon those recognitions and achievements made and enjoyed by the Asia friends, I think we can promote together more for the Asian regions.

IX. Questions concerning the attendance of non-G20 member countries at the G20 Summit Meeting in Washington

Q: I would like to know if possible, what is the position of Japan for the demand of some countries like Spain to go to the G20 meeting, even if the EU is represented as a whole? Some countries like Spain have asked to go, and what do you think about that request? Do you support that, or do you think that there is too much EU representation and there is no need for any more?

Mr. Kawamura: Concerning the question of participation to the G20, the issue should be handled by the chair, first of all. I think this arrangement was made by the United States. And the remaining time was rather short. We did not have much lead time to discuss many things. I understand the current format was agreed by the leaders. We should also focus on the issue of assistance to other countries, including developing countries. I think Spain is an influential and important country. I think later on the format of the meeting will be discussed among the leaders at the first conference in Washington, so I will look to see what will come out.

Q: Is Japan for or against, or they do not want to have an opinion? Would they support the presence of some other countries like Spain?

Mr. Kawamura: To be honest with you, I haven't heard this kind of special request or expectation from the so-called non-G20 member countries, therefore I cannot say yes or no. But if that issue is already on the table, floating, in the international arena, then I guess that the leaders may take into consideration that particular request. But at this moment I haven't known that any country outside of the G20 has registered its interest for the participation in the current or future conferences or not.

Q: It is especially for the Washington Summit. Maybe for the rest I think, as well, but it is more to go to this meeting in Washington.

Mr. Kawamura: Let me double check if the Japanese Government has taken a certain position on this particular issue.

X. Question concerning the visit to Japan of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain

Q: What will it mean for Japan, the visit of the King and Queen of Spain? They will strengthen relations, or they are coming for something in particular, or is it just an unofficial visit?

Mr. Kawamura: This is an official state visit. The main thing that is expected is to strengthen the already existing friendly relations between the two nations. Japanese people welcome from the bottom of their hearts the arrival of Their Majesties. They will stay in Tokyo, but they will have a chance to visit outside of Tokyo, and also go to Kyoto, which is in a very good season. It is truly the right time to visit.

Related Information (Press Release)

XI. Questions concerning the dispatch of special envoys to the Republic of Korea

Q: Could you tell me again the names of the envoys to Korea?

Mr. Kawamura: Certainly. The first person is Toyoo Gyoten, and another is Yoshiji Nogami.

Q: They have traveled today?

Mr. Kawamura: Yes. They have left today.

Q: Until when?

Mr. Kawamura: I will get back to you after checking.

Q: They will try to discuss what will be the approach to give to the G20 meeting, but Japan is going to tell them the same five points?

Mr. Kawamura: Of course the discussions with their Korean counterparts will center on the five points for the Washington meeting, but plus some Asia specific issues. They are not only talking about the G20 meeting in Washington, rather they will additionally discuss the issues specific to Asia. Therefore the five points for Korea are almost the same as the ones for Washington, by adding some Asian flavor.

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