Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 3 June 2010
- Japan-Australia Joint Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- The Oslo Climate and Forest Conference
- Statement by the Press Secretary on the certification of the results of the Iraqi election
- Visit to Japan by the Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait
- Five priority areas of 2010 Official Development Assistance
- Pakistan
- VIP visits
- Question concerning the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Japan-Australia Joint Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- The Oslo Climate and Forest Conference
- Statement by the Press Secretary on the certification of the results of the Iraqi election
- Visit to Japan by the Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait
- Five priority areas of 2010 Official Development Assistance
- Pakistan
- VIP visits
- Question concerning the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Deputy Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Yesterday, my minister, Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, released a joint statement welcoming the successful 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Please look at the statement itself. On paragraph two, it says the 2010 NPT Conference unanimously adopted a comprehensive and forward-looking final document which is a strong global commitment to the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.
On paragraph four, the two Ministers particularly welcome the commitment by Nuclear-Weapon States to reduce and eventually to eliminate all nuclear weapons.
Then the Ministers welcomed the many detailed and specific actions agreed by the participants, including the reporting by Nuclear-Weapon States of their undertakings to the 2014 Preparatory Committee, which will be followed by the consideration of the next steps by the 2015 Review Conference.
I will skip one paragraph. Australia and Japan cooperated closely and played particularly active and constructive roles leading up to and throughout the Review Conference.
In the final days of the Review Conference we both associated ourselves with a Ministerial Statement, initiated by Japan, calling on the States Parties to the Review Conference to renew their efforts and show greater flexibility in order to ensure the success of the Review Conference.
And finally, the two Ministers say that Australia and Japan have a long and proud record of activism and achievement on non-proliferation and disarmament. We are determined to keep this positive momentum and to build on this record and the successful NPT Review Conference outcome in the period ahead.
So this is the first topic I would like to introduce to you.
Mr. Sobashima: Second, we distributed a statement of State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr. Fukuyama on the occasion of the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference hosted by Norway. This is about the REDD+ initiative. REDD means reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. Mr. Fukuyama explained the Japanese initiative on this REDD+ area, and if you turn the page, under the heading “Ministerial Meeting on Forest Conservation Cooperation and Climate Change,” in the middle of the paragraph it says “Japan will host the Ministerial Meeting on Forest Conservation Cooperation and Climate Change in October, using the occasion of the COP10 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya.” And this initiative was welcomed. So I just want to highlight this today.
This is a part of the continuous process of our efforts on the issue of climate change
Related Information (Climate Change)
Mr. Sobashima: Third, we distributed the statement by the Press Secretary on the certification of the results of the parliamentary election in Iraq. I will read this.
On June the first, the Iraqi Supreme Court certified the final results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections held on March 7, 2010. Japan welcomes this announcement. Japan regards this national election in Iraq as being an extremely significant step forward in the country’s political process. Japan would like to express its respect for the efforts of the Iraqi government and the Independent High Electoral Commission toward the holding of this election and the enthusiasm of the people of Iraq who had cast a vote.
In the light of election results, Japan expects the people of Iraq to continue respecting one another, notwithstanding the difference of ethnicity and religious sects, and anticipates an expedite and stable inauguration of a stable new government in the country. Japan will continue its proactive support toward such efforts of the people of Iraq.
Related Information (Press Release)
Mr. Sobashima: Fourthly, I would like to refer to the visit of Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait. He paid a courtesy call yesterday afternoon to Prime Minister Hatoyama. The two leaders of the two governments discussed bilateral issues and they were satisfied with the current cordial bilateral relationship - there is no written material, just oral explanation. They confirmed their determination for further enhancing the bilateral relationship.
Related Information (Press Release)
As for the ODA, again, I’m sorry I don’t have anything written. But, last Monday we announced the five priority areas for official development assistance of Japan this year. So I would like to explain the five areas.
The first is MDG, Millennium Development Goals. We would support those projects which will contribute to Millennium Development Goals, and thereby we hope that we will promote human security.
Secondly, on climate change, as you know, we have announced the Hatoyama Initiative. I already explained the forest related initiative of Japan of hosting the ministerial conference. So the second priority area is the climate change area. We will support developing countries who are addressing the issue of climate change.
Thirdly, Prime Minister Hatoyama proposed the concept of an East Asian Community. Therefore, in order to promote the Asian economic development, we will consider good projects for assistance in this regard. We expect that there will be a mutual relationship between assisting the Asian development and benefit to the Japanese economy as well.
And fourthly, I will highlight this, we intend to cooperate with the international community to combat terrorism. For this we will assist the reconstruction of Afghanistan and also the efforts to stabilize Pakistan. This is the fourth priority area.
Fifthly, we think it is important to coordinate with the efforts of NGOs. So we will assist NGOs’ activities and their efforts to assist developing countries.
Mr. Sobashima: We issued recently a statement by the Press Secretary not only on the situation of the Gaza Strip, on the confrontation of the Israeli defense forces and the people aboard the boats carrying supplies to the Gaza Strip. We issued a statement of the Press Secretary deploring the incidents and condemning the deplorable acts, as well as calling on all parties to refrain from activities.
But also, in relation with the attacks, on May 28, that is last Friday, in Pakistan, we also issued a statement by the Press Secretary condemning the terrorist attacks and expressing the condolences to the victims.
Just for your information, with Pakistan also, we had a strategic dialogue at the official level. It was also Friday last week, May 28. From the Japanese side, Mr. Inomata, Director-General of the South Asian Department, and also senior officials from the Defense Ministry participated. From the Pakistani side, Mr. Masoud Kalid, I think he is Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Region, participated. I presume there was a good discussion on security policies and the regional situation.
Related Information (Press Release)
Mr. Sobashima: As for visits, because of the recent political development, there is some rescheduling taking place of the visits; I would like to refrain from making new announcements of VIP visits.
These are what I would like to share with you. Now I invite your questions.
Q: The first priority of ODA is what?
Mr. Sobashima: MDGs. Millennium Development Goals.
Q: Goals?
Mr. Sobashima: Goals. There are eight areas of MDG goals, like combating poverty, reducing maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, promotion of universal primary education, etc. The target year is 2015, so the international community is making efforts to achieve these targets. We understand in September there will be a UN conference to review the situation of the progress on those MDGs, Millennium Development Goals.
Mr. Sobashima: No other questions? Thank you very much for coming.
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