Press Conferences

Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs: Japan will host the High-Level Seminar on Peacebuilding, National Reconciliation and Democratization in Asia tomorrow, June 20, at the United Nations University.

In my keynote speech, I intend to look back at the paths Asia and Japan have followed since World War II, introduce Japan’s contributions thus far and future challenges and discuss Japan’s views on peace and its determination to make a greater contribution in this field.

Yamazaki, NHK: It was announced during the weekend that a Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held. At the present point in time, what subjects do you expect will be discussed; and as Minister, what sorts of outcomes are you hoping for?

Minister Kishida: Where outcomes are concerned, this will be the first visit to Japan by the foreign minister of the ROK since the Park Geun-hye Administration began, which I believe is one highly significant outcome in itself.

Naturally I will discuss a variety of bilateral issues between Japan and the ROK with Minister Yun. I intend to frankly exchange views on international affairs, including about North Korea.

Yamazaki, NHK: The ROK side is expressing expectations that there will be progress on the issue of the recognition of history. What is your outlook at the moment, as Minister?

Minister Kishida: At present the meeting has not been held yet, so I have to refrain from commenting in any way about the outcomes, but I expect that each side will probably raise various issues and matters of interest between Japan and the ROK. By all means, I hope to exchange views frankly.

Makita, Kyodo Press: Regarding Japan and the ROK, where the comfort women issue in particular is concerned, President Park did mention in an interview that there has been progress. But is it possible that the Japanese side will make some kind of concrete proposal at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting?

Minister Kishida: Where historical issues between Japan and the ROK are concerned, including the comfort women issue, we have undertaken ongoing discussions at Japan-ROK Director-General level talks and other occasions. We have not opened such specific content of the exchanges that took place in those discussions. We have continued throughout to exchange views frankly in the discussions.

We have indeed accumulated such discussions, so I also intend to continue the discussions based on them between foreign ministers.

Fukai, TBS: My question concerns security legislation. The issue of an “armed attack against foreign country resulting in threatening Japan’s survival” came up previously in the Diet, and I have heard that MOFA is studying examples of such a situation overseas. Have you actually found such examples?

Minister Kishida: To begin with, “an armed attack against foreign country resulting in threatening Japan’s survival” or the “three new conditions” in other words, is an extremely strict and exacting prerequisite, even in international terms. When you ask how to evaluate examples in the past abroad by applying such an unprecedentedly strict standard even compared to international ones, we recognize it is difficult to apply because we have not gather information from such a perspective.

I intend to report to the Diet again, formally.