Press Releases
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida Receives a Courtesy Call from the Executive Secretary and Provisional Technical Secretariat of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
1. On February 27, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The overview of the meeting is as follows.
2. Minister Kishida congratulated Executive Secretary Zerbo on his reappointment, and conveyed Japan’s decision to contribute an additional 290 million yen to the CTBTO in order to strengthen the system for detecting nuclear tests, explaining that, with North Korea’s nuclear tests and missile launches entering a new stage, Japan hopes the systemwill be used effectively in detecting nuclear tests. Minister Kishida also stated that along with the Republic of Kazakhstan, as co-coordinator for facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Japan will continue to work proactively to bring the CTBT early entry into force.
3. Executive Secretary Zerbo expressed gratitude for Japan’s support for the CTBT from the outset, and voiced expectation of further initiatives by Japan. Minister Kishida and Executive Secretary Zerbo shared the view that they will continue to work closely together to promote the early entry into force of the CTBT.
(Reference) In light of the nuclear tests carried out by North Korea in January and September last year and the adoption in September of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2310, which encouraged the pursuit of the establishment of the International Monitoring System (IMS) by the CTBTO, Japan is scheduled to contribute approximately 290 million yen to the CTBTO, which possesses an international network for detecting nuclear tests. At the CTBTO the contribution is scheduled to be spent specifically on (1) putting in place portable noble gas detection equipment; (2) background measurement of radioactive xenon; and (3)employment of experts for developing software to accelerate data analysis and evaluation at test times.