Press Conferences

Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I will visit Australia from today (November 20) until November 23. I will attend the first Japan-Australia Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations (“2+2”) since the establishment of the Turnbull Administration, together with Mr. Gen Nakatani, Minister of Defense. I will also hold a foreign ministers’ meeting with Ms. Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia.

During this visit I will hold discussions not only on bilateral relations including security cooperation, but also on the challenges facing the region and the international community, such as counterterrorism measures and the South China Sea. I will further strengthen the “special relationship” between Japan and Australia.

Minister Kishida:I highly appreciate that in the early hours of today, November 20, at the UN General Assembly Third Committee currently held in New York, the resolution on the situation of human rights in North Korea with strong message, which was jointly submitted by Japan and the European Union (EU), was adopted after obtaining more votes than last year, that is, 112 votes of approval.

This shows the strong concerns of the international community regarding North Korea’s human rights violations, including the abductions issue.

I strongly hope that the adoption of this resolution will lead to the early resolution of the abductions issue, as well as improvements in the human rights situation in North Korea, and continue to strongly urge North Korea, in cooperation with the international community, to take concrete actions towards that end.

Hasegawa, TBS: Yesterday at the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting, Prime Minister Abe commented regarding the activities of the Self-Defense Forces in the South China Sea that it would be considered while carefully observing its influence on Japan. Can we understand this as envisaging that in the future Japan will deploy Self-Defense Forces in the South China Sea in step with the United States?

Minister Kishida: In the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting, Prime Minister Abe, while stating his support to the freedom of navigation operation of the U.S. Navy, noted his opposition to all unilateral acts that increase tension. President Obama remarked that the United States will implement freedom of navigation operation as a routine action. Japan does not have specific plan to participate in the United States’ freedom of navigation operation, and Japan’s position remains unchanged.

Watanabe, NHK: To once again evaluate the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting with regard to this matter, although you stated there is no specific plan, it seems that there is some sort of more thinking about this matter since it was stated by the Prime Minister. So rather than there being a plan, may I ask whether or not there is this thinking on this matter and whether or not there will be joint action with the United States?

Minister Kishida: Japan does not have any sort of new specific plan. The actions we have taken so far have been to support capacity building through ODA or the Self-Defense Forces, to cooperate on defense equipment, and to support the relevant countries by seamlessly combining these forms of support, and we will continue with this approach. To summarize, I do not think anything has changed from previously.

Abe, Asahi Shimbun: According to some reports, a United Nations expert had been scheduled to visit Japan to conduct a U.N. examination on freedom of expression, but itit has been postponed following a request from the Government of Japan. What are the relevant facts and the reason for requesting postponement?

Minister Kishida: The facts are that coordination had been made for Mr. David Kaye, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, who was appointed by the Human Rights Council, to visit Japan from December 1 to December 8. However, because of the various other works that take place during the period at the start of December, such as compiling the budget, it was anticipated that it would be difficult to prepare all of the necessary arrangements to receive his visit. Therefore, we requested the rearrangement of schedule so that we would be able to receive his visit upon making through coordination. As a result, we obtained the understanding of the other party. A new schedule has not been determined at the current time, and we will continue to coordinate.