Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 25 February 2010

Joint Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia - Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons
Visit to Japan by Dr. Ali Larijani, Parliamentary Speaker of Iran
Journalists Symposium 2010
Eighth Informal Meeting on Further Actions against Climate Change
VIP visits
Questions concerning negotiations in the IWC on the future direction of whaling

Joint Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia - Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons

Deputy Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima: Good afternoon gentlemen. Today I have four topics and then some information on visits.

The first one is in relation to Foreign Minister Okada's visit to Australia last weekend. I distributed a paper entitled "Joint Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia - Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons." I think the contents are self-explanatory, so I will refrain from explaining in detail, except that in the joint Foreign Minister's press conference last Sunday, Foreign Minister Okada suggested that perhaps the people may read carefully paragraphs 4, 5 and 6, among other paragraphs.

The reason why I once again explain this to you is because in his policy speech in the Diet, Foreign Minister Okada emphasized the importance that Japan attaches to nuclear disarmament and climate change issues, among others.

Visit to Japan by Dr. Ali Larijani, Parliamentary Speaker of Iran

Mr. Sobashima: The second is the Iranian parliamentary speaker's visit to Japan. Dr. Ali Larijani had a meeting with Foreign Minister Okada yesterday. Dr. Ali Larijani expressed his congratulations to the Democratic Party of Japan for winning the last general elections, and then he expressed the view that Iran and Japan would further enhance bilateral relations.

On this occasion, Foreign Minister Okada said that there is a potential for further enhancing the bilateral relationship, however the nuclear issue in Iran is an obstacle at the moment. Foreign Minister Okada urged the Iranian side to take decisive action to clear the concern of the international community and to implement the Security Council resolutions, and to cooperate with the IAEA, among other remarks that he made to the Iranian parliamentary speaker.

Journalists Symposium 2010

Mr. Sobashima: The third topic is Journalists Symposium 2010, with the subtitle "Mutual Understanding and Progress of Intraregional Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region and Journalism - Achievements in the 20 Years of APEC, and Future." This symposium will be held on Wednesday next week, 3 March, in the Nippon Press Center Building. The participants are journalists from Japan, Australia, China, and Singapore, and we expect a good discussion reviewing the past progress on the regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region and the future possibility for further cooperation, and in this regard, the role the media.

Eighth Informal Meeting on Further Actions against Climate Change

Mr. Sobashima: The fourth topic is the Eighth Informal Meeting on Further Actions against Climate Change. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host this informal meeting on Monday and Tuesday next week, 1 and 2 March, in Tokyo. For this meeting, 28 countries, the EU, and UNFCCC representatives will be participating. We envisage that the participants will review the progress after COP15 held last December, and they will discuss how to conduct future negotiations in an informal and free manner leading up to COP16 later this year.

Related Information (Climate Change)

VIP visits

Mr. Sobashima: Regarding information on visits, I only have additional information about one VIP, that is the visit of the President of Romania. He will be visiting Japan from 9 to 11 March as a guest of official working visit, and he is expected to meet Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress, and he is expected to have a summit meeting with Prime Minister Hatoyama.

These are the topics I would like to share today. Now I am ready to take your questions.

Questions concerning negotiations in the IWC on the future direction of whaling

Q: I hope you don’t mind me switching topics a little bit. The other day Kyodo News put out a report that said that the Fisheries Agency Counsellor, Joji Morishita, said that there is a new proposal out from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that would get rid of scientific whaling and would reinstitute commercial whaling under a managed structure. The way Mr. Morishita had described it was that the proposal amounts to a provisional ceasefire. If I may ask, what is the Foreign Ministry's point of view on this, and how does it describe this proposal?

Mr. Sobashima: Thank you for the question. I am afraid that we are not in a position to comment on the specific proposals, but it is a fact that the consultation is underway in the IWC, so we hope that there will be a successful outcome out of it. However, Japan's position is to explain to the international community that what Japan is currently doing is the research whaling, which is done in accordance with the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, and authorized by the IWC. For the future direction of whaling, the negotiations are still underway and we are not in a position to comment specifically on the negotiations. In any event, our position is that we should discuss objectively, and we should discuss the issue based on accurate scientific data. Japan's position is to have sustainable use of marine resources, and of course, if certain species are endangered, then we do not intend to negatively affect those species. Having said these basic positions, I am not in a position to comment on the details of the negotiations.

Q: If I may ask one slightly follow up question. I understand that you are not in a position to comment on the specifics of the negotiation, but this sort of agreement could make some sort of middle ground between Japan and, for instance, Australia and such. Do you believe that this would give an area for negotiation to put an end to, for instance, Sea Shepherd, and some of these more extreme acts that are going on?

Mr. Sobashima: We hope that the agreement will have a positive impact on the understanding of those who have a negative view of Japanese whaling of course, however, we would continue to explain that what we are doing, even currently, is a lawful activity under the international convention. So yes, we hope that the agreement, if reached, will have a positive impact on those who do not fully understand the Japanese position.

Q: If you don’t mind, one final question. Sorry to go on about this, but like you said, this would hopefully allow for more understanding between the parties. If you are not able to comment of course that is fine, but do you see, in the next few years, being able to come to some sort of mutual understanding between the two parties?

Mr. Sobashima: What do you mean by two parties?

Q: The pro-whaling and the anti-whaling parties. Do you see some sort of agreement coming together because of this sort of negotiation?

Mr. Sobashima: Yes, in connection with the Foreign Minister's visit to Australia we explained that we hope to reach a diplomatic solution, in the IWC and bilaterally with Australia. So yes, we hope that we will be able to reach understanding between us and the other parties who have different views.

If there are no further questions I would like to conclude the press conference.

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