Press Conferences

Arita, Nippon TV: I understand that a NSC meeting was held prior to the Cabinet meeting. Could you explain what the agenda was or what decisions were made, if any?

Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida: A meeting of the NSC among nine ministers was held. The agenda was enforcement orders or rules for managing the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets. For details please ask the Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Arita, Nippon TV: Following on, during the weekend there were some reports that Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Junichi Ihara had visited China and made coordination for a Japan-China Summit Meeting, but can you confirm whether or not this is true?

Minister Kishida: To begin with, the Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau usually communicates with the Chinese side and relevant parties in various formats. I would like to refrain from commenting on each and every one of those actions or activities. I continue to believe that communicating with the Chinese side is important and intend to continue cherishing it.

Arita, Nippon TV: My question concerns Japan and North Korea. Could you please explain the current situation regarding the considerations surrounding whether or not the inquiry team will be dispatched, and the timing and method and others?

Minister Kishida: With regard to the investigation by North Korea’s Special Investigation Committee, the Abe Administration believes that the highest priority issue is the abductions issue, and we are strongly urging the North Korean side to promptly undertake a comprehensive and thorough investigation into all the Japanese people concerned including victims of abduction, and to report those findings promptly and honestly. And in terms of specific responses, I believe the Government as a whole must comprehensively consider its response while continuing to listen carefully to the views of interested parties, including the families of the victims of abduction. Consequently the current situation is that the Government is continuing to consider its response.

Makita, Kyodo Press: If a team does visit North Korea, will a major assumption or minimum condition for that visit be a meeting with Mr. So Tae Ha?

Minister Kishida: As I said earlier, at present the Government of Japan’s response is at the stage of being considered comprehensively by the Government as a whole. I think at this stage it would be inappropriate for me to mention any hypothetically, including who the Japanese side might meet or anything else. Certainly, the Government overall will carefully consider its response and above all else consider with the perspective of how it should respond in order to move the investigation forward.

Ishimori, Nippon Cultural Broadcasting: My question concerns the Cabinet decision on the management standards and enforcement of the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets. In the course of events thus far, there have apparently been concerns voiced even from within the Liberal Democratic Party about the possibility of the Act being managed arbitrarily and that it may not be possible to preserve the right of access to information, and demonstrations have also occurred outside. What are your views on these issues?

Minister Kishida: A variety of debate has occurred up to now. However, in the course of that, explanations were undertaken carefully and led to the Cabinet’s decision today, I believe. I think it will be necessary to continue to explain these issues carefully in order to secure citizens’ understanding in the future.