Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 9 September 2010

1. Accompanying measures pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 on Iran
2. Visit to Japan of the President and the Foreign Minister of Ecuador
3. Visit by Minister Okada to the Federal Republic of Germany
4. Telephone Conversation between Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, and Ms. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia
5. Questions concerning EPAs

Accompanying measures pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 on Iran

Deputy Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I have several topics to share with you today.

It is already a week old, but the first topic is accompanying measures pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 on Iran. As you know, we announced a month ago, on 3 August, measures to implement the same resolution, UN Security Council Resolution 1929, and now, on 3 September, the Government of Japan decided to implement accompanying measures in addition to the measures already announced in August.

The new measures cover non-proliferation – we identified additionally 88 entities and 24 persons for the purpose of freezing the assets, and we announced our intention to continue to implement a strict export control on the transfer of all Australia Group-listed and Wassenaar items to Iran under the Foreign Exchange Act.

And financially, we decided to freeze assets of 15 Iranian banks, among others. Then we have the measures on the prohibition of insurance to Iran, prohibition of brokering of securities related to Iran, prevention of establishment of new correspondent banking relationships with any Iranian banks, prohibition of opening of branches/subsidiaries, and scrutiny of customer identification / reporting of any suspicious transaction to the authorities.

And we also had the measures on trade, that is that the government announces that JBIC and NEXI will not enter into medium- to long-term (two years or over) commitments. In addition, NEXI exercises utmost due diligence with strict conditions when providing a short-term export credit.

As for transportation, the Government designates Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its subsidiary entities as being subject for asset freeze based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act.

Also, on energy, the Government shall halt all new oil/gas-related investment.

So this was already announced a week ago, but as this is important, I have explained it here.

Visit to Japan of the President and the Foreign Minister of Ecuador

Mr. Sobashima: The second topic is the visit of the President and the Foreign Minister of Ecuador. There was discussion between the President of Ecuador and Prime Minister Kan, and the Foreign Minister of Ecuador and Foreign Minister Okada. The leaders and foreign ministers discussed the bilateral relationship and the international situation, and the Ecuador side supported the UN Security Council reform, and supported Japan for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council, among other things.

Visit by Minister Okada to the Federal Republic of Germany

As you know, the Foreign Ministers of Japan and Germany jointly contributed an article to the Wall Street Journal in the last Saturday/Sunday edition. Immediately after that, Foreign Minister Okada visited Germany, last Tuesday, 7 September, and during his visit he had a meeting with his counterpart, German Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle, and also he paid a courtesy call on the German President, and also he had a meeting with Mr. Bruederle, Federal Minister of Economics and Technology. 

Between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, they discussed nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Foreign Minister Okada invited the German Foreign Minister to a meeting that is planned on the margins of the UN General Assembly meetings this month, and the German Minister accepted this invitation, and he will be participating in the meeting of Foreign Ministers, perhaps around 10 Foreign Ministers, later this month in New York. This is one of the three main topics that the two Foreign Ministers discussed - the first is nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation; the second is a Japan-EU EPA.

Foreign Minister Okada explained that the Japanese side attaches importance to an EPA with the EU, as that would expand the relationship, not only economically but in a wider sense, between Japan and the EU, and the two ministers agreed to consult further. The German side is rather forthcoming, and we hope that perhaps in the next Japan-EU Summit Meeting there will be an agreement to formally launch negotiations between the two sides on a Japan-EU EPA.

The third is UN Security Council reform. The two sides agreed on the importance of promoting the reforms and to consult each other further. In this connection, Minister Okada mentioned that it is important to explain to the international community why we are promoting the reform. It is because the UN Security Council should reflect the present situation of the international community, and, therefore, as a part of global governance it is important to reform the UN Security Council. We should explain why we are promoting the reform.

Telephone Conversation between Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, and Ms. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia

Mr. Sobashima: Finally, we distributed the paper of the Telephone Conversation between Prime Minister Kan and Ms. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia. The telephone conversation was conducted yesterday. Prime Minister Kan congratulated Prime Minister Gillard on her re-appointment as Prime Minister of Australia. The two sides confirmed the good relationship between the countries and to promote further this relationship between the two countries.

These are the topics I would like to share with you, and I invite your questions.

Questions concerning EPAs

Q: Can I ask about the Japan-India EPA negotiations? I believe that senior officials from both countries held the 14th round of negotiations at the Ministry today. Could you tell me about the results of the negotiations?

Mr. Sobashima: I am sorry I do not have the latest, but I presume the negotiations were conducted in a cordial way. We may be able to hear the results soon, but at this moment I do not have the latest. I hope you will be able to hear the latest soon.

Q: Can I also confirm about the agreement between Minister Okada and the German Minister Westerwelle about the Japan-EU FTA? Germany is eager to sign an FTA between Japan and the EU?

Mr. Sobashima: Let me put it this way. We have not yet started formal negotiations yet. Germany is ready to consider favorably the negotiations with a view to concluding the EPA. However, there should be several issues that should be tackled seriously. But as far as we understand, Germany is favorable to launching negotiations with a view to concluding the EPA on the understanding that several issues will be tackled seriously by the two sides. So we understand that Germany is favorable for considering launching the negotiations.

Q: And Germany I think is favorable to launch negotiations during the next Japan-EU Summit Meeting?

Mr. Sobashima: That is our hope. Because Germany is not the only country that is responsible on the part of the EU, there should be agreement on the part of the European Community. There may be various views within the EU, so we hope that not only Germany but also other countries will be forthcoming.

If there are no further questions, thank you very much for coming.