Press Conference 9 December 2003
- Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the press statement by the President of the United Nations Security Council on the condemnation of indiscriminate attacks in Iraq on foreign nationals including Japanese nationals
- Adoption of resolution on nuclear disarmament submitted by Japan to the United Nations General Assembly
- Bilateral meetings on the occasion of the upcoming Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit
- Question concerning UN Security Council President's statement
- Questions concerning upcoming Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit
- Question concerning resolution on nuclear disarmament
- Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the press statement by the President of the United Nations Security Council on the condemnation of indiscriminate attacks in Iraq on foreign nationals including Japanese nationals
Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you for coming to the briefing. Today I have three announcements I would like to make before taking questions.
The first announcement is that Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi issued a statement this morning appreciating the statement read by the President of the United Nations Security Council, Amb. Stefan Tafrov of the Republic of Bulgaria, on the condemnation of indiscriminate attacks on foreign nationals including Japanese nationals.
In her statement, she said as follows:
In the afternoon of 8 December (New York time) the United Nations Security Council in the statement by its President urged the international community to demonstrate its firm stance against indiscriminate attacks in Iraq on foreign and Iraqi nationals, including two Japanese diplomats who were murdered, and the necessity of fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1511 that urges comprehensive efforts to be made by the international community for Iraq. Japan highly regards this statement as it reemphasizes the importance of the further cooperation of the international community in the reconstruction of Iraq in the future.
Japan has been urging major member states of the UN Security Council, and also UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to issue immediately a UN Security Council message which reconfirms the firm stance of the international community, stating that further international cooperation is important for the reconstruction of Iraq, as there is no end to incidents in which foreign nationals concerned in the reconstruction efforts in Iraq are being victimized. Japan therefore welcomes this outcome in which Japan's stance was shared by the UN Security Council member states and led to the issuance of this statement.
Related Information (Statement by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Statement to the Press by the President of the United Nations Security Council on the Condemnation of Indiscriminate Attacks in Iraq on Foreign Nationals including Japanese National)
- Adoption of resolution on nuclear disarmament submitted by Japan to the United Nations General Assembly
Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is on the adoption of a resolution on nuclear disarmament at the UN General Assembly by an overwhelming majority vote.
The Government of Japan today issued a statement by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcoming the adoption at the United Nations General Assembly of the resolution on nuclear disarmament which is entitled "A path to the total elimination of nuclear weapons."
The Government of Japan has annually submitted a draft resolution on nuclear disarmament since 1994 and has enjoyed overwhelming support from the international community. Inspired by the strong sentiment calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, Japan, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombing, submitted a resolution this year as well. The resolution is based on the fundamental position that places great importance on the realization of a peaceful and safe world free of nuclear weapons through a steady implementation of a practical and incremental approach toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
The resolution this year was adopted with an overwhelming majority, namely 164 votes for the resolution, 2 against and 14 abstentions. The number of approval votes increased by 8 since last year.
Following the adoption of this resolution, Japan intends to continue and intensify its diplomatic efforts in the area of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
- Bilateral meetings on the occasion of the upcoming Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit
Mr. Takashima: The third announcement is about bilateral meetings in conjunction with the Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will meet each of the ten leaders of ASEAN member countries separately from 10 to 12 December in Tokyo.
In the afternoon of 10 December (Wed), Prime Minister Koizumi will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the Republic of Indonesia, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Kingdom of Cambodia. In the morning of 11 December (Thu) bilateral leaders' meetings will be held with Malaysia, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, the State of Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of the Philippines. The meeting with leaders of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Union of Myanmar will be held in the afternoon of 12 December (Fri).
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will hold ten separate meetings with her counterparts here in Tokyo starting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien of Viet Nam scheduled at 17:30 here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There will be a Japan-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held at 11:00 on 11 December (Thu) at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
We expect that leaders and foreign ministers from ASEAN countries will start arriving at Tokyo from this afternoon onward.
A Press Working Room for members of the foreign press who are covering the Summit and related events will open at 13:00 on 10 December on the ground floor of the Annex Building of the Akasaka Prince Hotel. The media accreditation card is being issued at the Foreign Ministry now and at the press information desk in the Annex Building of the Akasaka Prince Hotel adjacent to the Press Working Room tomorrow and Thursday.
- Question concerning UN Security Council President's statement
Q: I was mainly interested on the logistics of the Summit, but on the statement on Iraq, how much value does it have as far as Japan is concerned at this particular time in terms of reassuring Japan on its decision to send Self-Defense Forces and that they are going to be safe? What, if anything, is concrete or tangible about this statement?
Mr. Takashima: Japan has been urging the international community to unite to fight against terrorism, fight against violence, and especially to assist the Iraqi people's efforts to reconstruct their nation.
This statement issued by the President of the UN Security Council clearly demonstrates the strong will of the international community that the world is united in that direction. We highly appreciate the efforts made by the UN Security Council members and also Secretary-General Annan. We, as a member of the international community, will join the effort by the many countries in the world for the assistance of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq.
To that extent, the Government of Japan at today's Cabinet meeting will adopt a basic plan for that cause, including the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.
Q: The statement seems like it is simply reaffirming the solidarity of the international community. It does not commit any of the UN Security Council members to send additional forces and such?
Mr. Takashima: The Government of Japan will urge the members of the UN Security Council as well as other nations of the world to make further efforts, including extending further assistance to the Iraqi reconstruction effort by dispatching Special Envoys of the Prime Minister starting sometime later this week.
Q: This is the Prime Minister of Japan obviously?
Mr. Takashima: Yes, Special Envoys of Prime Minister Koizumi. Actually, they are going to be a former Prime Minister, former Foreign Ministers and a Deputy Foreign Minister; in total, four envoys.
- Questions concerning upcoming Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit
Q: On the Summit, you mentioned those bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Koizumi and the heads of other states. I am not quite clear, will there be a press briefing after each individual meeting? Or, how will the press be briefed on these bilaterals, if at all?
Mr. Takashima: There will be a press briefing room set up at the Akasaka Prince Hotel Annex Building and there will be a regular press briefing held there.
However, there will be so many bilateral meetings at the leaders' level and also foreign ministers' level. Therefore, they will probably have those briefings as a kind of collective briefing on several meetings.
Q: By the Japanese side?
Mr. Takashima: Yes, by the Japanese side, and we have already set up a separate briefing room for the use by foreign delegates. We do not know if that room will be utilized by the delegates, but we do hope so.
Q: Sorry, you said that the meeting of foreign ministers is at the Imperial Hotel on Friday?
Mr. Takashima: The foreign ministers' meeting will be on Thursday from 11:00 at the Imperial Hotel prior to the official opening of the Summit.
Q: What are the press arrangements for a briefing on that meeting?
Mr. Takashima: This will probably be done after the Summit and not in the morning hours. The actual schedule for the briefings would be put up on the board of the Press Working Room.
Q: Are there any additional announcements, such as that somebody is not coming or extra people are coming? Is it confirmed that all the ten leaders are coming?
Mr. Takashima: We believe that all ten leaders and ten foreign ministers along with other members of their delegation will arrive in Tokyo in time for the meeting.
- Question concerning resolution on nuclear disarmament
Q: On your second announcement on nuclear disarmament, forgive my ignorance, but is that fairly routine or is it something particular?
Mr. Takashima: This is a kind of annual event to exhibit the Japanese strong sentiment and strong wish for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
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