Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 8 October 2009

Announcement of visit to Japan by US President Barack Obama
Questions concerning the visit to Japan by President Obama
Questions concerning the upcoming Japan-China-Korea trilateral meeting
Questions concerning support from the Government of Japan to Afghanistan
Questions concerning the comfort women issue

I. Announcement of visit to Japan by US President Barack Obama

Deputy Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura: Good afternoon and welcome. Let me start with one announcement.

First, about the US President's visit to Japan.

Japan will cordially welcome the US President, Mr. Barack Obama, from the 12th through the 13th of November. During his stay in Japan, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will meet with President Obama. President Obama's visit to Japan will be an important opportunity to further enhance Japan-US relations. We will do our utmost to have a successful visit.

Now, I welcome your questions.

II. Questions concerning the visit to Japan by President Obama

Q: During his stay, is Mr. Obama only going to stay in Tokyo, or is he also going to visit other places?

Mr. Kawamura: I do not know details of his program during his stay in Japan. I think the detailed program will be worked out later.

III. Questions concerning the upcoming Japan-China-Korea trilateral meeting

Q: Can you give us some more details on the upcoming trilateral meeting, or the agenda?

Mr. Kawamura: Further details will be briefed by a Foreign Ministry official later this evening.

But, I can give you brief sketch of the summit meeting. The trilateral summit meeting will be held on the 10th of October. The host this time will be Mr. Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan and Mr. Lee Myung-bak, the President of the Republic of Korea will attend.

During the summit, discussions may focus on the progress and prospects of this trilateral cooperation, and as you might imagine, the regional as well as international situations will also be discussed.

Just for your information, this is the second round of the trilateral summit. The first round of the trilateral summit, as you may recall, was held in Fukuoka, Japan last year, in 2008. It was the first opportunity for the three leaders to meet independent from other international meeting occasions such as the ASEAN meetings and so forth. They decided to host each other for the coming years, one summit by each member country. They had agreed to host the second round summit in China during this year, 2009.

In the first round meeting, they had very intensive discussions under the principles of openness, transparency, mutual trust, mutual benefits and respect for the diversity of cultures. Under those principles, the leaders agreed on the joint statement on the trilateral partnership to enhance cooperation among the three parties.

This second round is based upon the achievements of the first round discussions. The content of their first joint statement includes programs such as cooperation on disaster prevention and cooperation in international finance and economy in other regions. This is the background for the upcoming summit meeting.

Q: What kind of expectations does the Japanese side have?

Mr. Kawamura: First of all, this is the second round, on the basis of the initial trilateral summit meeting. We would like to firmly establish the cooperation among the three parties by taking a future-oriented approach. As Minister Okada predicted, on this occasion, they will discuss important regional issues such as North Korea and international issues such as the environment. But, I cannot prejudge all the possibilities because the leaders will decide their agenda.

Q: The Foreign Minister said yesterday that the East Asian Community will also be on the agenda. Is there a concrete proposal to talk about this and to make clearer what it means?

Mr. Kawamura: It is a bit too early to say what exactly will be proposed and what exactly will be discussed. This summit should proceed by the wishes of and reflect the thoughts of the leaders. I cannot prejudge any particular, concrete proposals about it. They will discuss regional issues and I take note of what Minister Okada said yesterday at the press conference.

Related Information (Press Release)

IV. Questions concerning support from the Government of Japan to Afghanistan

Q: I want to ask about the support in Afghanistan. The Japanese government uses the Japanese word minseishien, that they want to enhance -- This is what is called the meaning of minseishien -- but I do not exactly understand exactly what minseishien means. I understand that it is aid to support people's livelihoods, or civilian aid, but does it mean all kinds of support except those that involve the military? What does it actually mean, for example?

Mr. Kawamura: The stability and reconstruction of Afghanistan is one of the major priority policy goals for this administration, as Minister Okada clearly spelled out at his initial press conference. We are doing our best to coordinate views on how Japan could contribute to that goal, namely, the stability and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

During the series of meetings with leaders of likeminded countries on the occasions of the UN General Assembly and others, the Japanese side, Prime Minister Hatoyama and Foreign Minister Okada, clearly said that we are now considering how Japan's contribution will be formed. The major thrust and purpose of our exercise will be to support Afghanistan's efforts towards the goal of stability and reconstruction.

Q: More generally speaking, when you use the word minseishien, it does not mean, for example, that the SDF goes to Afghanistan and they directly support or do some kind of support activity. It does not include those kinds of activities?

Mr. Kawamura: The way that I am thinking is probably different from or opposite to your question. First we set the goal to support the international efforts for more stability and accelerated reconstruction. From that viewpoint, we build strategies and thoughts on how Japanese strategies can be effectively made. Minister Okada frequently mentions possible areas of Japan's contribution such as vocational training, agriculture and so forth. This is a good example of civil assistance, as you mentioned, if I employ your terminology. That is where we are.

Q: This is in connection to the same. I think there are two aspects of Mr. Okada, the Minister of Defense and officials within the Ministry of Defense. They are not yet very clear about security and refueling because Mr. Okada said the refueling cannot be extended easily. It means it can be, because he said it cannot be extended easily.

So, there are two aspects. One is security; one is to join the international community fighting terrorism. There are two aspects of the issue. I really appreciate the new Japanese Government when they say that we, on both sides, Pakistan and Afghanistan, will create jobs, training, agriculture and the like. This is one aspect. But, the international community's fight against terrorism is another aspect.

About refueling, I think the new government is not yet clear because when they say it is not easy, it means that it is difficult, but it can be. It will take a little more time to reach a final decision.

Mr. Kawamura: Let me start with the last part of your question, refueling. I should recapture what Minister Okada has said repeatedly up to today. He said there would be no simple extension of the replenishment mission. There is nothing to add to that. That is the first thing.

The second thing, distinction of international fighting -- if I use your term, fighting -- against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan...

Q: Maybe campaign...

Mr. Kawamura: Whether the term "fighting" or "campaign" is appropriate to express the situation or not, in any case, what Minister Okada emphasized up to today is to support the reconstruction and peace building in Afghanistan through the assistance of the lives of the people there would lead to our final goal. The Minister yesterday gave one example of potential members of the Taliban, by assessing their motives for joining the Taliban. He said by providing technical assistance and vocational training those potential members could find, through job training, a way to earn a living. That might be a way out. That is a part of the Japanese thoughts for the final goal of how to contain terrorism.

Q: I think that the idea to offer vocational training to Taliban soldiers...

Mr. Kawamura: I don't think he said so. He underlined that because of poverty there would be a potentiality of joining the Taliban, or an inclination towards joining it. By providing the means and vocational techniques for those poor local fellow people for making a living, it might lead to an improved situation.

Q: But doing such activities, to reach out to such people, I think those people are basically in dangerous areas such as in the southern part, so does that mean that Japan will offer some financial contributions for such activities, or does Japan hope to send people to do that?

Mr. Kawamura: Of course, the Minister was speaking in a general sense that the significance and meaning of such a Japanese approach to the issue. It does not necessarily mean that Japan is at this moment interested in some specified areas or parts of the country. We will consider all elements together and decide what will be the most effective measures. At the same time, we have to think about the security conditions in the country, as a matter of course.

Q: In the UN also we used to call it checkbook diplomacy on the Japanese side. Recently, and during all these campaigns, there are a lot of high ranking officials from the United States and Britain, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs or some other high officials from the Japanese government would like to visit in connection with Pakistan's efforts in fighting terrorism or having consultations because the government is really hoping. I had sent an invitation to Mr. Okada.

Mr. Kawamura: You have sent an invitation to the Minister?

Q: Yes, I sent an invitation to Mr. Hatoyama also because we see other countries coming and having consultations, and since this is a new government, I talked with my ambassador. It is not a question, but I know formally we can hand over an invitation and a contribution, it is all the same thing. You can join too.

Mr. Kawamura: Aside from the context of the press conference, can I have a chance to talk to you later about your plan?

Q: Yes.

V. Questions concerning the comfort women issue

Q: In South Korea, there are still some so-called comfort women trying to get the attention of the Japanese Government and they hope that the new government will come forward with an official statement of regret or something in that issue, and they are still demonstrating. Do you think that the new government is going to have a new stance in this respect?

Mr. Kawamura: Your question is about comfort women in particular?

Q: Yes.

Mr. Kawamura: My understanding is that this administration clearly said that former Prime Minister Murayama's statement about Japanese history or past be respected. The issue of the history or past may include the comfort women issue, as I understand it.

Any other questions? Thank you very much for your attendance.

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