Press Conferences

Mr. Mizushima: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will co-host with the UN Department of Public Information, the International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East on June 9 and 10 at Sophia University, Tokyo. In the seminar, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hirotaka Ishihara will deliver an opening address at the opening session, and Ambassador Yutaka Iimura, Representative of the Government of Japan, will participate as a panelist in a session on “the current state of Middle East peace”, and exchange views with other participants from all over the world involved in the Middle East peace issue. The seminar is held every year by jointly the UN Department of Public Information and the host country based on a UN General Assembly resolution, aiming at pursuing the solution to the Middle East peace issue by encouraging dialogue between Israel and Palestine. The seminar this year is the 22nd of such seminars.

Mr. Mizushima: In relation to this seminar, Mr. Peter Launksy-Tieffenthal, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information of the UN, will visit Japan from June 8 to 14. Under-Secretary-General Launsky-Tieffenthal will attend the aforementioned seminar and is also scheduled to exchange views with senior government officials and others including Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ishihara. Under-Secretary-General Launksy-Tieffenthal’s visit to Japan is expected to strengthen the cooperative relationship between Japan and the UN in the public information field.

With that, if you have any questions I would be happy to answer.

Q: My first question is about the Australia-Japan 2+2 Meeting. I’m wondering if the day has been set for that, because I heard it was going to be in June.

Mr. Mizushima: Regarding the 2+2 Meeting, I don’t have any detailed information with me. If there is any fixed date decided, we will let you know. But I understand the specific date has not been decided.

Q: I also wanted to ask about the Prime Minister’s trip to Singapore. I just saw a report a few minutes ago that he will meet with Chuck Hagel. Do you know about that?

Mr. Mizushima: Prime Minister Abe has expressed his intentions to attend the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. But we’re still coordinating his attendance, so the meeting with any people in Singapore has not been decided yet.

Q: I just have another question. I understand that a number of officials from the Foreign Ministry will be attending to speak at panels. I was wondering if you could give me any idea of who will be going and or how many Japanese Foreign Ministry officials will be speaking? Is it maybe more than usual?

Mr. Mizushima: I don’t have the detailed information of the Dialogue to give you, but as I get the information from the divisions in charge, I will pass it on to you.

Q: Another question about G7. I understand that the Prime Minister will probably go if Parliament allows I suppose, and there are reports that after that he will go to Italy and the Vatican. Has that been decided?

Mr. Mizushima: Of course we are aware of that report, but the schedule of his trip has not been decided yet, including the visit to Italy.

Q: One more question. About President Putin. I understand that the Prime Minister said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal a few days ago that he still hoped that President Putin would visit in autumn. Are there any preparations happening for that?

Mr. Mizushima: President Putin’s visit to Japan was agreed at the Summit Meeting in February. At this moment, there is no change in that plan. The visit was scheduled to be held in autumn, and no details have been decided yet.

Q: Was it scheduled for any particular month?

Mr. Mizushima: No, not really. What was agreed in February was that he was going to visit Japan this autumn.

Q: Will that be affected by the situation in Ukraine? It doesn’t seem to be calm yet.

Mr. Mizushima: Well of course we do hope that the situation in Ukraine will be resolved in a peaceful manner as soon as possible. As I said, the plan of President Putin’s visit to Japan is not affected at this moment.