Top > Announcement > Press Conference by the Press Secretary of MOFA > 24 November 2011

Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 24 November 2011

  1. Foreign Minister Gemba's Visit to China
  2. Visit to Japan by Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Nouri Kamil Al-Maliki
  3. The Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (the Bangkok Treaty)
  4. Upcoming events and visits

  1. Foreign Minister Gemba's Visit to China

    2. Deputy Press Secretary Ms. Naoko Saiki: Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to start the conference today. I would like to announce a few topics.

    Ms. Saiki: First, on Foreign Minister Gemba's visit to China. Foreign Minister Gemba visited China yesterday to hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi of China and other meetings.

    The two Foreign Ministers have agreed that since Japan and China have a great responsibility for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific Region and the world, the two countries should engage more actively in various challenges facing the region and the international community. They shared the view that it is very important for the two countries to accumulate concrete cases of cooperation, thereby further deepening the mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests. In light of the fact that next year would mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of the Japan-China relationship, Foreign Minister Gemba and Foreign Minister Yang reaffirmed that it is important to improve national sentiments toward each other. They also agreed that they will continue working together closely toward the success of Prime Minister Noda's visit to China, which is being arranged at present.

    With respect to the mutual trust between the two countries, the two Foreign Ministers agreed that it is quite important for the two countries to further promote the mutual trust through high-level communications and various dialogues at all levels.

    Foreign Minister Gemba stated that in order to realize the agreement of 2008, it is essential to resume negotiations on a treaty regarding the resource development in the East China Sea at an early date. Doctor Yang Jiechi responded that China will continue to communicate with Japan on the matter. They reaffirmed their leaders' agreement that a maritime crisis management mechanism between Japan and China shall be established and thus agreed to work together toward the prompt institution of such a mechanism.

    They also agreed that Japan and China will make utmost efforts to reach an agreement in principle on a trilateral investment treaty with South Korea by the end of the year, and to launch negotiations on a trilateral EPA or FTA at an early stage of the next year.

    Upon request by Foreign Minister Gemba, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stated that China will seriously consider further easing restrictions on Japanese food imports that have been imposed following the March 11 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant accidents, based on scientific review and assessment.

  2. Visit to Japan by Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Nouri Kamil Al-Maliki

    3. Ms. Saiki: The next topic I would like to take up is the visit by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq to Japan.

    Upon the invitation of Prime Minister Noda, Mr. Nouri Kamil al-Maliki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, paid an official visit to Japan from November 20 to 23, leading a high-level delegation.

    The two Prime Ministers discussed a wide range of issues. They reaffirmed the importance of further enhancing and expanding cooperation based on shared values and interests between the two countries and peoples under the Japan-Iraq Comprehensive Partnership issued in January 2009. They confirmed that the Partnership has entered a new stage, as Iraq achieves its greater self-reliance, bearing in mind the scheduled US troops withdrawal to be completed by the end of the year 2011. In the economic field in particular, they acknowledged that the bilateral relationship had entered a new phase of advancing concrete cooperation agenda and promoting dialogue.

  3. The Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (the Bangkok Treaty)

    4. Ms. Saiki: The third and the last is on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, the so-called Bangkok Treaty.

    On the occasion of the recent ASEAN Summit Meetings held in Bali, the negotiations to enable the five nuclear-weapon States to accede to the South East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (the Bangkok Treaty) Protocol concluded between the five nuclear-weapon States and ASEAN. To this date, none of the nuclear-weapon States have signed the protocol.

    Japan wholeheartedly welcomes this announcement as the Bangkok Treaty contributes to the peace and stability of South East Asia as well as to the progress of international nuclear disarmament.

  4. Upcoming events and visits

    5. Ms. Saiki: I will now announce several planned events and visits, as of today. First is the visit to Japan by the Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Nikola Gruevski, from 29 November to 3 December.

    Another visit will be made by the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Mrs. Laura Chinchilla Miranda, from December 6 to 10.

    On November 28, The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 17th COP Meeting, will start in Durban, South Africa.

    There is going to be an International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn, Germany, on December 5.

    From December 5 to 22, a review conference of the Biological Weapons Convention will take place in Geneva, Switzerland.

    This is the end of my introductory remarks today. Do you have any questions? I see none, so I would like to conclude today's conference. Thank you very much.

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