"Japan has important role to play in boosting M.E. peace process"
by Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs
25 April 2002
Since assuming the post of foreign minister nearly three months ago, I have placed top priority on the organizational reform of my ministry.
Diplomatic issues, however, allow us to waste no time.
In particular, the Palestinian situation has become increasingly grave since 2000 because of the ever-intensifying conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The escalating Israel-Palestinian conflict is threatening the stability of the entire Middle East and the world as a whole.
I would like to state here my own thoughts on how Japan should deal with this situation.
What is now needed most urgently is a ceasefire on both sides of the conflict.
The Japanese government has so far been persistently calling for Israeli forces to pull out immediately from the Palestinian Authorities areas, while asking Palestinians to bring terrorist activities to an end.
Japan is determined to continue these endeavors.
However, it is the United States that plays a decisively important role in ensuring a ceasefire.
Japan has been committed to extending the maximum possible support to mediation efforts by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to pursue peace in the region.
Another key task concerns measures that should be taken to put political processes after a ceasefire agreement on the right track.
Given that mutual trust on both sides of the Middle East conflict has been seriously marred, I believe the international community should commit itself to forging a multi-layered process.
Japan is willing to play a role in creating such a new process.
In setting this process in motion, it will be necessary to undertake three tasks simultaneously.
First, in order to ensure the continuation of a ceasefire and the recovery of mutual trust between Israelis and Palestinians, an international conference should be convened with the aim of guaranteeing the ceasefire agreement and subsequent political process.
Several ideas have already been set forth in this respect.
For instance, the proposal that peace negotiations be conducted by first clarifying a timetable for their completion with a guarantee of the establishment of a Palestinian state may be a favorable course of action. This is because an advanced guarantee of the establishment of a Palestinian state would help positively motivate both sides.
Japan wishes to help promote such an initiative.
Second, it is important for the international community to beef up a framework to support efforts to enhance the "fruits of peace," that is, regional stability and development.
One idea for achieving this goal is to resume the multilateral tracks to facilitate regional cooperation projects in the Middle East that have currently been stalled with the stagnation of the peace process.
Japan has been playing a leading role in this field, and I believe it should continue to do so.
Third, it is essential to make efforts to create a wide-ranging relationship of mutual trust between both parties.
In this context I think Japan can host a conference not only for Israeli and Palestinian officials, but also for people from various fields on both sides to gather together to discuss ways for them to "peacefully coexist" as well as future vision for a Palestinian state.
I would like to see the presentation of such a vision helping revive hope among the Palestinian people that the peace process can result in a bright future.
In undertaking such political processes for Middle East peace, Japan's assistance for the Palestinians will certainly remain of great importance.
On Tuesday, 23 April, the Japanese government decided to provide 3.3 million dollars of emergency humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.
Japan is prepared to come out with assistance road map along with each stage of the peace process, i.e. the realization of a ceasefire agreement, progress towards the resumption of peace negotiations and the establishment of a Palestinian state, in the hope of providing both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with incentives for peace.
In addition, Japan must stage multi-faceted diplomatic activities in the Middle East to contribute to regional peace.
For instance, Japan, to prevent the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from spreading to southern Lebanon, engaged in dialogue with a number of Middle east countries, with a certain degree of success attaining understanding by them.
In addition, Japan's continued commitment to constructive efforts and cooperation through dialogues with Egypt and Jordan as well as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will certainly contribute to promoting the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians and boosting the stability of the region.
The promotion of such dialogues is one of the major objectives of my upcoming visit to Iran.
Japan, with many channels of dialogue to countries in the region, is in a position to properly and effectively engage in this multi-faceted diplomatic activities for Middle East peace.
On the basis of this belief, I plan to dispatch a special envoy for this mission in the near future.
It is my earnest wish that Japan will play various roles to heighten hopes among people in the Middle East for a promising future.
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