Press Conference, 2 July 2009

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to visit Canada and the United States
His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito to assume presidency of the 400th Anniversary of Japan-Mexico relations
The coup-détat in Honduras
Indian Foreign Minister visits Japan for the Japan-India Strategic Dialogue
Questions concerning their Majesties the Emperor and Empress's visit to Hawaii
Questions concerning the situation in Honduras
Questions concerning the visit of the Indian Foreign Minister to Japan

I. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to visit Canada and the United States

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

Let me start with four announcements today.

First, tomorrow, July the 3rd, their Majesties the Emperor and Empress will leave Tokyo for the visit to Canada and the United States of America. Their Majesties will stay in Canada from tomorrow, July the 3rd, to the 14th visiting Ottawa, Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver. On the 14th, their Majesties will transfer from Vancouver to Honolulu. Their Majesties will leave Honolulu on the 16th and return to Tokyo on the 17th.

This visit will be a milestone in the Japan-Canada friendship as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening in Japan of Canada's first diplomatic mission in Asia.

Japan enjoys a long and close relationship with Hawaii. In Hawaii, Their Majesties will attend the event of the 50th anniversary of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation.

Related Information (Itinerary)

II. His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito to assume presidency of the 400th Anniversary of Japan-Mexico relations

Second, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito has assumed the Honorary Presidency of the 400th Anniversary of Japan-Mexico relations, and so has H.E. Mr. Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, President of the United Mexican States from the Mexican side.

To give you a brief background of this anniversary, in the year 1609, Rodrigo de Vivero, after finishing his term of office as Governor of the Philippines, was en route back to Acapulco, Mexico when he became shipwrecked in the town of Onjuku in Chiba Prefecture. As a result of the rescue efforts of the residents of the town, the lives of 317 of the 373 passengers were saved. The following year, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu provided Vivero with a ship and allowed him to return to present-day Mexico. In consideration of this history of exchange, leaders of both Japan and Mexico agreed at the 2008 Japan-Mexico Summit Meeting to further relations between the two countries from 2009 to 2010.

III. The coup-détat in Honduras

Third, about Honduras, Japan condemns, with the international community, the recent coup-détat in Honduras and calls for the early recovery of the constitutional order including the reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya. Japan also expects that the problem will be peacefully resolved through the efforts of the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

Related Information (Press Release)

IV. Indian Foreign Minister visits Japan for the Japan-India Strategic Dialogue

The fourth is on the Indian Foreign Minister's visit to Japan. This evening, H.E. Mr. S.M. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs of India will be arriving in Tokyo as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tomorrow, Foreign Minister Nakasone will hold the third Japan-India Strategic Dialogue at the Foreign Ministers' level with Foreign Minister Krishna. At this dialogue, the two ministers are expected to discuss approaches to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and cooperation between Japan and India for regional and international challenges. During his stay in Japan, Minister Krishna is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Aso tomorrow.

This is the first visit by the minister from the new Indian cabinet formed in May 2009. Japan welcomes the visit and hopes that it will further strengthen the friendly relationship between Japan and India.

That's all from me, now I will invite your questions.

Related Information (Press Release)

V. Questions concerning their Majesties the Emperor and Empress's visit to Hawaii

Q: During the Emperor's visit to Canada and Hawaii, is the Emperor planning to go to Pearl Harbor?

Mr. Kawamura: No, I do not think so. During their Majesties' stay in Hawaii, according to the schedule, Their Majesties will attend a banquet in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation, as I introduced in the beginning, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel and a luncheon hosted by the Governor of the State of Hawaii Ms. Linda Lingle at the Washington Place. Their Majesties will also attend the wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Their Majesties will also visit Kapiolani Park. That is the itinerary planned for their majesties' stay in Hawaii.

In addition to those four events scheduled in the island of Oahu, their Majesties will attend a reception co-hosted by the Ambassador of Japan and the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu at the Parker Ranch on the island of Hawaii.

Related Information (Itinerary)

VI. Questions concerning the situation in Honduras

Q: About Honduras, is it that the international community and Japan only denounced the military coup, or did they intend to have some action against...

Mr. Kawamura: Let me elaborate on what I said in the beginning. First of all, the international community and Japan condemns the recent coup-détat and the constitutional order should be restored.

Japan hopes that the international community including the UN and the OAS which have been making efforts to resolve this problem. Japan hopes that those efforts by the international organizations will be successful and that this problem be resolved peacefully. It does not mean that no actions are expected.

The definition of the term of action should really vary. At this moment, I cannot determine what kind of efforts will be done but the international society as a whole expresses those efforts to be very effective.

Q: So there are contacts with the military regime and the international community is having direct contact?

Mr. Kawamura: well I cannot comment on that particular movement, but I would like to share the fact that yesterday, on the 30th, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution unanimously and the resolution comprises four points. Point one is the denunciation of the coup-détat. Point two, the immediate and unconditional return of President Zelaya to the post of presidency. Point three, all the member countries are requested that they should not approve a regime other than President Zelaya's. Point four, the General Assembly would support the efforts in accordance with the UN Charter 8 in order to resolve the crisis in Honduras.

Q: Is there also a question of membership of the United Nations for Honduras?

Mr. Kawamura: No, as far as I understand from yesterday's resolution at the UN, it does not refer to the membership question. But it says that President Zelaya was democratically elected by the people of Honduras, therefore President Zelaya should return to the original regime in an immediate and unconditional way. It does not say anything about the membership of Honduras in the United Nations. Their membership is still retained, and on that basis they hope that President Zelaya should return to the country.

Related Information (Press Release)

VII. Questions concerning the visit of the Indian Foreign Minister to Japan

Q: Is there any special item on the agenda of the Indian Foreign Minister?

Mr. Kawamura: They are expected to discuss the bilateral issues and regional as well as international challenges. In the context of the bilateral relations, first, they will discuss the bilateral exchanges on the high level and the government to government consultations. The projects such as the Indian Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad. Those projects will also be discussed between the two ministers.

On the regional and international contexts, there are several issues such as the United Nations Security Council reform, climate change, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, piracy off the coast of Somalia, and South Asian regional issues including Sri Lanka.

Just for your information, both leaders, the Prime Ministers between Japan and India, last October agreed on the Joint Declaration on the Promotion of a Strategic Global Partnership between Japan and India. This is the basic structure for the bilateral strategic relations.

Q: Will Japan stress to India about non-proliferation?

Mr. Kawamura: We continuously urged the Indian side in the past that India join the NPT and sign the CTBT. (But as for tomorrow's meeting I cannot prejudge the actual subjects.)

Q: Any political response from them?

Mr. Kawamura: We have had a very useful exchange of views.

I am sorry, but the time seems to be up. Thank you very much for your attendance.

Related Information (Press Release)

Back to Index