Press Conferences

Mr. Takeshi Osuga, Foreign Press Secretary: I would like to state the Government of Japan’s reaction to the announcement regarding the INF Treaty by Secretary of State Pompeo at NATO Headquarters on December 4 (local time).

Japan understands the issues that led to the United States’ announcement regarding the INF Treaty. Taking into account the historic role the Treaty has played for arms control and disarmament, Japan believes that it is an undesirable situation that the Treaty unavoidably must be ended.

Based on the influence on regional security, Japan will closely follow the future movements of the United States and Russia, hold firm discussions with the United States, and conduct exchanges with related countries including Russia and China.

That is all.

Foreign Press Secretary Osuga: H.E. Mr. Vincent Meriton, Vice President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Seychelles, will visit Japan from December 1-7. Minister Kono is scheduled to hold a meeting with Vice President Meriton today.

The Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Seychelles with a dual accreditation ambassador is scheduled to be established in January 2019, and the partnership with the Republic of Seychelles, which has a key location in the Indian Ocean, is growing increasingly important.

Vice President Meriton’s visit to Japan is expected to further deepen friendly relations between Japan and the Republic of Seychelles.

Asahi Shimbun, Takeshita: Ms. Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and a resident of Canada, is now visiting Japan and recently held a meeting with Chairperson Fumio Kishida of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party. After this, she is scheduled to meet with Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Kiyoto Tsuji, and I have heard that she hopes to meet with Minister Kono. Is there a reason for him not meeting or being unable to meet her?

Foreign Press Secretary Osuga: As a result of comprehensive consideration and coordination, including the schedule, about Ms. Thurlow’s request for meetings with Government officials, it was decided that Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Tsuji would respectively receive courtesy calls from her.