Lyon Summit Information

Press Conference by Spokesman for the Delegation of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto
Chairman's Statement

Date : 29 June 1996 Time : 11:30 -- 11:50 Location: Japanese Press Briefing Tent Palais des Congrès Lyon, France

MAJOR TOPICS

1. Introduction of speaker and briefing status
2. Important points in the Chairman's Statement from Japan's point of view
3. Possible attendance of Australia at a future G-7 Summit
4. Position of Japan about the possible membership of Russia in the G-7/G-8
5. Possible financial support for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) from the European Union
6. Japan's official development assistance and recipient countries' military expenditure

1. Introduction of speaker and briefing status

   Moderator: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this on-the-record briefing by the Japanese delegation. Before we begin, I would just like to remind you of the ground rules for this press conference. Today's speaker will be Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Hiroshi Hashimoto. Mr. Hashimoto is the official spokesman for the Japanese delegation to the G-7 Summit. As this is an on-the-record briefing, you may quote Mr. Hashimoto by name and title or as the spokesman for the Japanese Government. Mr. Hashimoto will begin with a brief statement. Following this statement, he will open the floor to questions. If you have a question, please raise your hand and wait to be recognized by the spokesman. Once you are called on, please proceed to the microphone. Please state your name and affiliation before proceeding with your question. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Let me now introduce Mr. Hiroshi Hashimoto, Spokesman for the Japanese Delegation.

2. Important points in the Chairman's Statement from Japan's point of view

   Spokesman for the Delegation of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this press conference. I would like to brief you on some important points which the Japanese Delegation attaches to the Lyon Summit Chairman's Statement. I am sure you have read the Chairman's Statement. First, on the United Nations, there is a phrase which I will quote on page two which says, "We undertake to intensify our role in the high-level and working groups set up by the General Assembly for this purpose in order to help ensure the balanced, timely and effective outcome of their efforts." We understand that one of the working groups is related to the reform of the Security Council. When we stress the need to reform the Security Council, we rely on this paragraph. Page four, under the same chapter, "United Nations," there is an emphasis on the humanitarian emergencies effort. It says, "Humanitarian emergencies, which are frequently the outcome of political crises, are a matter of special concern to us." Japan attaches great importance to this paragraph, and Japan is happy to cooperate with various organizations such as the UNHCR. Under the chapter on "Non-proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament," we are very glad that the following sentence has been included in the Chairman's Statement. It is related to the CTBT. "We affirm our undertaking to conclude a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty so as to enable its signature by the outset of the 21st Session of the General Assembly this coming September." And, we particularly attach deep importance to the paragraph related to anti-personnel landmines on page six. I will just quote the relevant part. "We welcome the outcome of the Review Conference on the 1980 Conventional Weapons Convention. We are pleased that this first Review Conference reached consensus on a new Laser Weapons Protocol, as well as a strengthened Protocol on Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices. We call upon all states to spare no effort in securing a global ban on the scourge represented by the proliferation and the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel landmines, and welcome the moratoria and bans already adopted by a number of countries on the production, use and export of these weapons, unilateral reductions in stockpiles, as well as initiatives to address this urgent problem." In this regard, the Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto of Japan said to his counterparts in the Morning Session that Japan supports international efforts toward a global ban on anti-personnel landmines. At the same time, he said that Japan will take unilateral measures on its own initiative. The Japanese Government has been making its efforts in relation with landmines in the following three categories. One is to assist the removal of landmines under the United Nations umbrella and others. Secondly, Japan has been endeavoring to develop detection technology, and thirdly, Japan has been assisting in rehabilitating the victims caused by landmines. The Prime Minister will hold his press conference at 15:30 here this afternoon. At this conference, the detail of Japan's ideas about the unilateral measures will be explained. Under the chapter on "Nuclear Safety and Security," Prime Minister Hashimoto did not discuss this fact with his colleagues, but when he attended the Moscow Summit in April, he informed his colleagues that Japan would host a Conference on Nuclear Safety in Asia. In this regard, I would like to explain that the Government of Japan is now consulting with the relevant countries on the details of the conference with the view in mind that this conference will be held in November this year. The tentative agenda of the conference is as follows: 1) to secure the safety of commercial nuclear power plants; 2) the safe management of nuclear fissile materials; and 3) regional cooperation on damage compensation in the event of a nuclear accident. We have in our minds to invite the countries where, already, commercial nuclear plants are operating, or where nuclear power plants are going to be introduced and operated, in Asia -- notably, China, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Viet Nam, and Thailand. But, we have not yet decided which countries should participate in this conference. At the same time, Japan welcomes the participation of other countries outside Asia as observers. We have in mind the G-7 countries, Russia, and the European Union. This is our rough idea on the conference on nuclear safety in Asia. Under the chapter of regional situations, I would like to draw your attention to the last paragraph, number four, which refers to the Korean Peninsula. It is particularly important for us. Especially, this statement says that the dialogue and cooperation between North Korea and the Republic of Korea should be developed. It says that the G-7 leaders support the initiatives taken with a view to initiating a process aimed at achieving a permanent peace agreement on the Korean Peninsula to replace the current armistice agreement, including the proposal of the United States and the Republic of Korea on 16 April 1996 to convene a Four-Party Meeting. Lastly, this statement emphasizes the importance of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO). It says, "We call on the international community to join us in providing political and financial support for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization." Having said so, I would be delighted to answer any questions which you might have.

3. Possible attendance of Australia at a future G-7 Summit

   Q: At several previous Summits, I have asked the Japanese Spokesman if Japan would take any initiative to invite the other great democracy of the Pacific, Australia, to a future G-7 Summit. Yesterday, I asked the same question of President Chirac, and he said he was not hostile to this. Now, the next Japanese Summit will be, I think, in four years time. Would you expect to have Australia attend that meeting? If you look at the economies of the seven countries now, you have a much smaller proportion of the world population than you had in 1975, and so you are no longer so representative of the world's peoples as you were at that time.

   A: Australia has been asking Japan to get support for its membership in the G-7 Summit for a long time. We very much appreciate what they have been requesting. But, we must have a consensus on new membership for the G-7 Summit. This time, the Government of Japan has not taken up its position on the entry of Australia in the Summit. A new Government has been established in Australia. Japan and Australia have been enjoying a very close relationship, and I am sure, if Australia is interested in it, we will continue to exchange views on this subject; but we are not in a position to tell you what the Japanese stance on this particular issue is now.

   Q: Are you concerned at all that if Australia is not present at the next Summit held in Japan, that perhaps Japan might not be invited to the Sydney Olympics in the year 2000.

   A: I don't think there is any direct connection between the two.

4. Position of Japan about the possible membership of Russia in the G-7/G-8

   Q: What is the position of Japan about the membership of Russia in the G-7/G-8?

   A: Japan is very happy to exchange views on the political issues and the global agenda with the Russian Federation, but if you talk about the economic aspect of the G-7 Summit, the main subject of the discussion is economic policy coordination. Unless Russia's economic institutions become the same as ours, it will be rather difficult for Russia to pursue policies for coordination, and so on. So, in this sense, we have been encouraging Russia to proceed with their reform policy. Probably the immediate task in front of us is how, and how rapidly, the Russian economy can be integrated into the world economic system. In this sense, we have been extending technical assistance to the Russian Federation to familiarize itself with the WTO rules. We are happy to continue to do so, if the Russian side requires us to do so. Probably the WTO is an appropriate forum where Russia and other countries can jointly endeavor for participation.

5. Possible financial support for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) from the European Union

   Q: Have you received any firm commitment from the European Community as to any type of financial support for KEDO?

   A: We understand that the European Commission has proposed to the upper organ of the European Union to extend annual funds to KEDO, but they have not decided on this. Probably, this is related to the budget of the European Union. But, if the European Union cannot commit itself to extend annually the amount of ECU 15 million for the coming five years, we wish that, at first, they will think of the possibility of extending some substantial funds separately.

6. Japan's official development assistance and recipient countries' military expenditure

   Q: Several years ago, Japan came up with a marvelous initiative that it would make its aid conditional on the amount of military spending in the recipient countries. I have looked here for a table to show what effect that has had over the past four years. Does such a table exist, which shows a decrease in Japanese aid to the military Governments, and similarly, an increase in Japanese aid to the civilian Governments?

   A: If you are interested in the data itself, I hope that my colleagues can give you some, if we have any. But, at the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD meeting, we regularly exchange views on this. There are several countries where we have frozen our aid because of their military expenditure, or militaristic policies against human rights, etc. There are some cases where we have been increasing our aid where democratization and the effort to introduce market- economic-oriented policy are visible.

   Q: Can you give examples of such countries, both decrease and increase? Can you remember any examples?

   A: I don't remember. There are several such countries in Africa, in Latin America, and so on. If you are interested, please contact our office in Paris; they are very happy to provide data. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you have time to come to the Prime Minister's press conference at 15:30 this afternoon. Thank you very much.