Press Conferences

Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I have three announcements at the outset.

First is about the recent House of Councillors election.

The ruling parties have received a stern judgment from the people. I believe that we should accept this result in a humble and solemn manner.

At the same time, amid mounting challenges both at home and abroad, political stagnation cannot be allowed. I will fulfill my responsibilities as Minister for Foreign Affairs, focusing on what must be done for the nation and the people.

Minister Iwaya: Second, H.E. Ms. Sommerfeld, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of the Republic of Ecuador, will visit Japan from July 22 to 25 as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Japan and Ecuador have maintained diplomatic relations for over 100 years and are important partners sharing common values and principles. To further strengthen the bilateral relationship with Ecuador, I will hold a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and host a working dinner tomorrow, where we will exchange views on bilateral relations and regional and international affairs.

Minister Iwaya: Third, I would like to touch upon the Japan-EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

H.E. Ms. Kallas, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, is visiting Japan with H.E. Dr. Costa, President of the European Council, and H.E. Dr. von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. They are here to attend the 30th Japan-EU Summit.

Tomorrow, I will hold a meeting with High Representative Kallas, where we will exchange views on Japan-EU relations and regional affairs, including the Indo-Pacific.

That concludes my opening remarks.

Kyodo News, SAKAGUCHI: I would like to ask about the House of Councillors election. As you mentioned in your opening remarks, the ruling parties have lost their majority in the House of Councillors following a similar outcome in the House of Representatives. This will weaken the foundation of the administration and raises concerns about a decline in Japan’s negotiating power in diplomacy. While tariff negotiations with the U.S. are ongoing, do you think it is appropriate to continue the negotiations under the ISHIBA administration, given that even members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are calling for the Prime Minister's resignation? What are your thoughts on how the election results may affect the negotiations?

I have one more question. Before becoming Prime Minister, I believe Mr. ISHIBA was the type of person who did not hesitate to voice harsh opinions on behalf of the people when the ruling parties came under public criticism and gained popularity among the public. In the latest election, Prime Minister ISHIBA failed to gain the confidence of the people. As someone who has supported the Prime Minister since the LDP presidential election, do you think it is appropriate for Mr. ISHIBA to remain in his position as Prime Minister and LDP President? How should the Prime Minister take responsibility in your view? Thank you.

Minister Iwaya: First of all, as I stated at the outset, the ruling parties have received a very stern judgment from the people, and I think it is necessary to accept the election result seriously and humbly reflect where reflection is needed.

At the same time, there are literally mounting challenges both at home and abroad. There are mounting challenges that require swift and decisive actions. The security environment surrounding Japan is also highly complex and severe. Various diplomatic challenges lie ahead as well. In such times, we believe there should be no stagnation in diplomacy and security.

Diplomacy, needless to say, requires stability and continuity. The recent election results show that these challenges cannot be solved by the ruling parties alone. Even if the opposition parties united, solving them would be difficult. This is the political situation we now face. Therefore, it requires us in politics to confront these challenges together, for the sake of the nation and the people, by transcending the boundaries between the ruling and the opposition parties through frank and open discussions.

Regarding the tariff negotiations, Minister AKAZAWA is now in the U.S. Building on the progress made in the negotiations so far, Japan must exert all-out efforts to realize a mutually beneficial agreement for both Japan and the U.S.

I understand Secretary of the Treasury Bessent stated during his recent visit to Japan that a beneficial agreement will most certainly be reached. I also understand the Secretary mentioned that an “agreement between the United States and Japan remains within the realm of possibility.”

In order to overcome what could rightly be described as a national crisis, the Government will continue to support these negotiations, working as a unified force.

In addition, as I mentioned earlier, in the wake of such severe election results, it is only natural that there are various opinions within the party. Therefore, as both Diet members and the Prime Minister have stated, we need to listen carefully to the voices of regional party organizations and deepen discussions on the future direction of the party.

However, most importantly, we must not cause stagnation in national politics during this critical period. We must steadily fulfill our responsibilities to the nation and the people. As such, one might say we are caught between a rock and a hard place. Nevertheless, I believe we must move forward for the sake of the nation and the people.

Pan Orient News, Azhari: Israel began bombing Syria just hours after the former regime Assad fall, and continues to strike Syrian military infrastructure, with recent bombings targeting the presidential palace and the defense ministry and others. These bombings, along with invasions and occupation of new Syrian territories, occur despite Syria not initiating any hostilities against Israel. So, my question is: By not openly condemning Israel, and instead only expressing wishes for a ceasefire—wishes that Israel ignores all the time—can we say that Japan is inadvertently encouraging Israel to continue its incursion and threatening the foundation of peace and security in the Middle East and even in the world? Thank you.

Minister Iwaya: As indicated in the Statement by Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro on July 19, which was, of course, issued based on my judgment, Japan is deeply concerned about the extreme deterioration of the situation in Syria following Israel’s strikes on Syria.

That being said, Japan calls for the steady implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached between the relevant parties and strongly urges all parties concerned, including Israel, to exercise the utmost restraint. Japan also appreciates the efforts by relevant countries toward resolving the situation.

At the same time, Japan urges all parties concerned to maintain the territorial integrity and national unity of Syria and to respect its independence and sovereignty.

Japan appreciates the Syrian Government’s engagement in dialogue toward an inclusive political solution and national reconciliation. Japan will strongly call on all parties concerned to continue playing constructive roles in realizing a peaceful and stable transition in Syria.

Mainichi Shimbun, TADOKORO: In response to an earlier question from Kyodo News, you said something to the effect that the Government is "caught between a rock and a hard place,” but should keep moving forward. The Prime Minister listed the tariff negotiations as the top national political issue to be resolved. Do you agree that the challenge to be addressed with utmost priority is the tariff negotiations?

Minister Iwaya: Obviously, the tariff negotiations with the U.S. are vital with national interests at stake. When conducting crucial negotiations, I believe appearing to have a highly unstable domestic political foundation is never to our advantage. Therefore, I think it is necessary to maintain a solid footing and engage in these negotiations.

In addition, various diplomatic challenges are currently unfolding. While I will not go into each one of them, here again, I believe appearing to have a highly unstable domestic political foundation will not work to our advantage in resolving or addressing these diplomatic challenges. We must sincerely accept the harsh judgment from the people and hold candid discussions with opposition party members as well. In particular, when it comes to diplomacy and security issues, I think we are in principle required to stand on the same footing as much as possible. Therefore, we need to make solid efforts to this end, including reaching out to the opposition parties.

Asahi Shimbun, SATOMI: Considering the current discussion, the Japan-EU Summit is scheduled to take place, as you mentioned in your opening remarks. I believe it is important that Japan and the EU share fundamental values such as democracy and the rule of law. Can you once again tell us what significance Japan attaches to strengthening cooperation with the EU and what message Japan would like to send to the EU side, if anything, based on the results of the House of Councillors election? I would also appreciate it if you could tell us which specific areas Japan hopes to deepen cooperation in terms of security and economy.

Minister Iwaya: Given the current international situation as it is, it is becoming more important than ever to cooperate and coordinate closely with the EU, with which we share common values and principles, as you pointed out. In that sense, I view the upcoming Japan-EU Summit as extremely timely.

It is essential that Japan and the EU maintain a strong commitment to global governance, multilateralism, and an international order based on the rule of law. We intend to send this message, and we believe that this will be conveyed.

On the security front, we would like to confirm our intention to further strengthen cooperation and dialogue in the security field, based on the Japan-EU Security and Defence Partnership announced last November.

We consider that the security of Europe and of the Indo-Pacific are inextricably inseparable and, in a sense, connected. I believe this perception is also shared by the European side. Therefore, we hope the EU side will continue to uphold its commitment to the security of the Indo-Pacific, and we expect various discussions will be held on cooperation in the security field to that end.

Additionally, on the economic front, amid the faltering free trading system, it is essential and important to cooperate with the EU toward upholding and strengthening a free and fair economic order and trading system based on stable and predictable rules. As such, we must make this summit an opportunity to deepen discussions, including in the area of economic security.

Chugoku Shimbun, MIYANO: I have a question regarding the UN expert panel studying the effects of a nuclear war. I would like to ask about the Government’s intention in nominating Dr. TOMONAGA Masao as a member. In addition, what kind of discussions do you expect the panel to have toward a world without nuclear weapons, and how does the Government intend to support the panel in the future?

Minister Iwaya: Japan welcomes the appointment of Dr. TOMONAGA Masao, Emeritus Director of the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb (Genbaku) Hospital, as a member of the UN Independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War, as you just mentioned.

Dr. TOMONAGA has been providing medical care to the Hibakusha for many years as a physician, and he himself is a Hibakusha. In that regard, the Government of Japan considers Dr. TOMONAGA to be suitable as a member of the Panel and nominated him for the position.

I understand that the Panel will examine the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war and their impacts on public health, socioeconomic systems, agriculture, and ecosystems, and will submit its final report to the 82nd session of the UN General Assembly in 2027.

We believe that examining the effects of nuclear weapons use from a scientific standpoint and promoting an accurate understanding, as the Panel is doing, can be described as the starting point for all measures toward a world without nuclear weapons, and we would like to expect substantial outcomes.

Yomiuri Shimbun, KURIYAMA: You referred earlier to the political foundation of the administration. With the foundation becoming unstable, do you believe that the ISHIBA Cabinet will be viewed as a reliable negotiation partner in tariff negotiations and diplomacy? I am concerned about being taken advantage of the cabinet’s weakness. Please share your thoughts on these points.

Minister Iwaya: Yes, as you stated, difficult and important negotiations are currently underway, and we must ensure that we are not seen as vulnerable. It is natural that there are various opinions within the party, but I believe that this is the time to work in solidarity and unity. At the same time, the unity of the ruling parties alone will not be sufficient for smooth administration of the Diet. Therefore, we must engage in sincere and thoughtful dialogues with opposition parties and build a broader consensus to tackle these various challenges.

While it is still too early to predict how the tariff negotiations will conclude, there might be situations where we will need to gain the understanding of the Diet, depending on how they are settled. Therefore, we must make a range of efforts to build a broad consensus in the Diet in all sincerity.

Kyodo News, SAKAGUCHI: I have a follow-up question. You stated before that stagnation in national politics must not be created. Among the various opinions being expressed, some point out that the Prime Minister remaining in office itself will cause stagnation in national politics. What are your thoughts on this?

Minister Iwaya: Regrettably, the ruling parties currently do not have a majority in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. In such a situation, even if a new LDP President were to be chosen, there is no guarantee that person would become Prime Minister through the Diet’s designation process, and we are facing the difficult challenge of how to address this matter. In other words, this is not simply a question of prolonging the ISHIBA administration or not. Rather, we are confronting the issue of how to rebuild Japanese politics, which is currently at a critical juncture.

I believe what are required for the benefit of the nation and the people are to maintain the current administration for the time being, engage in dialogue with opposition party members as much as possible, and build a broad consensus in order to move Japan forward.