Japan's Unchanged Commitment to the Middle East

Statement by Dr. Tatsuo Arima,
Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for the Middle East
On the Occasion of the Arab League Summit
March 29, 2007
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Mr. President,
Most Honorable Heads of State and Government,
Excellencies,

On behalf of the Government of Japan, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States for giving us an opportunity once again to send a representative as an observer to the Summit here in Riyadh. I am most honored to be attending this Summit for the fourth time.

In his address entitled "Middle East Policy As I See It" on February 28th, Foreign Minister Taro Aso reaffirmed the critical importance of the Middle East for Japan and expressed his determination to deepen our political engagement in the Middle East region with the recognition that the Middle East region as a whole now stands at a crossroads of great consequence. He underscored that it is imperative that we secure and reinforce maximum stability in the region by making full use of Japan's economic resources, intellectual resources and diplomatic resources in what he called an "all-Japan" effort.

Middle East Peace Process

Mr. President,

New momentum is emerging for peace in the Middle East. We are very much pleased to note that, since the Mecca Accord last month, the prolonged turmoil and violence in the Palestinian territories have finally been supplanted by calmness and order. Japan welcomes the formation of a new national unity government and strongly hopes that, under the principle of co-existence and co-prosperity between Israel and Palestine, the new government will lead the way to the resumption of the Middle East Peace Process. Japan highly appreciates the tireless efforts by President Abbas in pursuing peace and will continue to support his endeavors. Japan also highly appreciates the peace efforts by the Arab leaders, in particular the role played by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, in successfully bringing about the conclusion of the Mecca Accord.

While such positive political developments have been attained, the dire humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people should not be overlooked and needs our continued attention. Japan announced this month an additional humanitarian assistance package totaling 12.6 million dollars in the fields of medical care, job creation and food supply. Japan has provided, since the Oslo process started in 1993, about 900 million dollars of assistance to the Palestinians.

Further, Japan believes that, in addition to humanitarian assistance to meet immediate needs, we should also start working to enable the Palestinians to establish a viable state in the future, one characterized by sustainable economic development. During his visit to Israel, Jordan and Palestine last July, then-Prime Minister Koizumi proposed the concept of a "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" to develop the Jordan Rift Valley through regional cooperation as part of medium- and long-term efforts to achieve co-existence and co-prosperity for both peoples. This month, a ministerial-level startup meeting for this Corridor initiative was hosted in Tokyo by Foreign Minister Aso. The meeting was attended by Mr. Shimon Peres, Vice Premier of Israel, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat, Head of the Negotiations Affairs of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Mr. Farouk Kasrawi, Special Advisor of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan. I wish to take this opportunity to express our thanks to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for his cooperation. It would be a great privilege for us if, through the creation of the "Corridor," we could help the peoples of the region to gain hope for the future and trust in each other.

In parallel with this startup meeting for the Corridor initiative, the Government of Japan also hosted in Tokyo the Third Conference for Confidence-building between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Conference originates from Japan's strong wish to assist in building confidence between the Israelis and Palestinians at a time when hostilities and mistrust prevail between them by providing a venue for dialogue towards achieving the goal of a two-state solution and peaceful co-existence. It is of paramount importance for them to understand that there are partners to talk with.

Lebanon

Mr. President,

What has changed dramatically since the summit in Khartoum last year is the situation in Lebanon. Japan highly appreciates the role taken by the Arab League, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the region for improving the situation in Lebanon. Japan is gravely concerned over the continuing disorder and insecurity in Lebanon. Japan strongly supports Prime Minister Seniora's efforts for advancing democracy and promoting economic structural reform and it is Japan's earnest hope that the parties concerned in Lebanon, through dialogue and consultation, will work together to promote national reconstruction and reform and contribute to achieving stability in the region. It is our belief that the steady implementation of UN Resolution 1701, with the efforts of all parties concerned and the cooperation of the international community, is critical for realizing the stability of Lebanon. Japan also believes that it is essential for the international community to make serious efforts for addressing such issues as the disarmament of all armed groups and the delineation of borders. Japan, recognizing that the stability of South Lebanon is a prerequisite for peace and stability of the region as well as comprehensive peace in the Middle East, will extend its utmost assistance to Lebanon. In this connection, I would like to reiterate the importance of Syria's role and cooperation to realize the stability not only of Lebanon and Iraq, but also of the Middle East region as a whole. We honestly expect that Syria, another party to the Middle East peace process, will join proactively in international efforts and play a positive role in achieving peace and stability in the region.

Iraq

Iraq is now facing a critical moment. As a responsible member of the international community, Japan has been proactively extending its assistance to the reconstruction of Iraq and supports the International Compact with Iraq, an initiative prepared by the Iraqi Government itself for a new partnership with the international community. Japan has extended four elements of support to Iraq: humanitarian and reconstruction activities and airlift services conducted by Japan's Self-Defense Forces; 5 billion dollars in reconstruction assistance; human resources development; and 6 billion dollars in debt relief. Japan also believes that the efforts by the Iraqi Government for reconciliation among the parties are of vital importance for improving the situation. As part of its peace efforts, Japan is hosting a National Reconciliation Seminar this week, inviting ministers, members of the National Assembly and other participants from Iraq.

The Sudan

In order to realize the consolidation of peace in the Sudan, it is critically important to steadily implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Japan has provided an assistance package totaling 150 million dollars since April 2005. Japan will continue to support efforts towards the consolidation of peace in the Sudan. Japan, however, remains gravely concerned over the worsening security and humanitarian situation in Darfur. We strongly hope that the Government of the Sudan will double its efforts to promote dialogue among the parties concerned and to support the activities of AMIS as well as expedite consultations with the United Nations and the African Union for implementing the deployment of the Hybrid Operation in order to improve the situation.

Mr. President,

I wish to conclude by expressing our high appreciation for the efforts of the members of the Arab League towards peace and stability in the Middle East. Japan, for its part, remains firmly committed to the pursuit of these goals and will continue to work closely with all the countries in this region and the international community.

Thank you, Mr. President.