Press Conferences

Fukai, TBS: Security-related bills are being deliberated in the Diet from today, and I imagine you are also taking part in that discussion. What sort of deliberations will be pursued, given also that the understanding of citizens is not yet sufficiently advancing?

Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The peace and security legislation is for the protection of citizens’ lives and livelihood. And I also think that the understanding of citizens is extremely important. I believe that we must pay attention to conducting elaborate and comprehensible discussions.

Furthermore, the Government of Japan’s basic position is to create a desirable international environment via diplomacy, and build a structure that enables seamless responses for contingencies. I think that it will be important to hold deliberations carefully while properly explaining that the peace and security legislation is a structure that enables seamless responses for contingencies, which is the overall Japan’s foreign and security policy and the basic position of the Government of Japan.

Fukai, TBS: In connection to that, the other day the Minister of Defense said the risks faced by Self-Defense Force personnel will not increase. What are your thoughts on that?

Minister Kishida: I have been also explaining the risks in a variety of settings, including the Foreign Affairs Committee. Within a broad framework, as I just stated, the fact is that diplomatic efforts will be built up and a desirable environment will be created, but a structure that enables seamless responses will be prepared for dealing with contingencies. As a result of this framework being prepared, deterrence will increase and the overall risks will decline, which mean risks in a broad framework.

At the same time, in various scenes and settings, responses will change; and so naturally the circumstances will change. Discussions will emerge regarding how to control the risks when that happens. To that end, coordination and mechanisms for holding down the risks are in place within the various bills.

I understand that risks will be discussed in relation to those issues. I think the best way to find out what Minister Nakatani really meant would be to ask him himself; but where the issue of risks is concerned, that is how I see it.

Fukai, TBS: My next question concerns Japan and North Korea. This week it will be one year after the agreement in Stockholm. I would like to ask how you view the fact that there are no actions from North Korea thus far, and what your views are on the future, including reinstating sanctions and other measures that were temporarily lifted, given that the one-year deadline is approaching in July.

Minister Kishida: To begin with, it has been one year since the agreement in Stockholm. The consultations took place from May 26 to 28 last year. And to this day, the return of all the abduction victims has not been realized.

Certainly, we must continue to urge the North Korean side to sincerely and firmly fulfill the agreement reached when those Japan-North Korea consultations were held. I believe we must work on to North Korea to rapidly investigate and report their findings promptly and honestly.

With regard to the future actions, as I just said, presently our position of continuing to firmly work on to North Korea is unchanged. I expect we will have to continue tirelessly reviewing what will be effective in eliciting positive and concrete responses from the North Korean side.

Nakagawa, Yomiuri Shimbun: In your speech on the first day of the Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), you called on the world’s leaders to visit the sites of the atomic bombings. Next year, the G7 Summit Meeting will be held in Japan. Do you think you will be calling on the world’s leaders, particularly the G7 leaders, to visit the bombing sites?

Minister Kishida: Looking back on the current NPT Review Conference, first, I think it is extremely regrettable that a consensus was not reached for the final agreement document. Therefore, in order for us to once again aim for a world without nuclear weapons, it made me keenly aware that no concrete results will be achieved without cooperation between nuclear and non-nuclear states. As I have said up to now, I consider that the recognition of the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons will be the catalyst for cooperation between the nuclear and non-nuclear states. To achieve this recognition of the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons, I believe it would be extremely meaningful to have the world’s leaders visit these sites in order to see what really happened after bombings; and that through these visits, the leaders would be given further momentum toward creating opportunities to realize a world without nuclear weapons and to realize cooperation between nuclear and non-nuclear states. In this way, I think it would be very significant to have the world’s political leaders, and also the world’s young people, visit the sites of the atomic bombings. As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings in wartime, I believe that Japan must continue to appeal to the international community through this approach. While I would like to refrain from prejudging how specifically such a result would be perceived and what actions it might lead to, I believe Japan should continue to make efforts with the approach I have just described.

Nakagawa, Yomiuri Shimbun: And what about the G7 leaders who will be attending next year’s G7 Summit Meeting?

Minister Kishida: We believe it would be meaningful to have all the world’s political leaders, including the G7 leaders, visit the atomic bombing sites to have them understand what really happened after bombings.