Friday, January 9, 2009

Council on Security and Defense Capabilities

Prime Minister Taro Aso held a meeting of the Council on Security and Defense Capabilities at the Prime Minister's Office.

The National Defense Program Guideline, which the Cabinet determined as Japan's basic policy on defense capabilities in December of 2004, stipulates that the Guideline should be reviewed and revised as necessary after five years, taking into account matters including the security environment and trend in the development of technologies. Accordingly, the Council aims for the Prime Minister to hold a wide-range of discussions with experts from various fields, including the fields of security and the economy, over the course of the 5th year.

At the Council's meeting, convened for the first time in approximately four years, Prime Minister Aso said, "Although the basic policy of the current National Defense Program Guideline is still appropriate today, it is time to consider reviewing it given the circumstances that have arisen since it was formulated. Take the international peace operations by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) for example: the operations have become the essential mission of the SDF, and the SDF have achieved a lot in Iraq and in the Indian Ocean. While various issues exist in the situations around Japan, cooperative relations with countries such as China are strengthening. Furthermore, the reform of the Ministry of Defense calls for the strengthening of defense policies and joint management; consolidation of defense capabilities build-up; and review of procurements. Based on these conditions, I ask each of you to discuss security strategies and roles of defense capabilities, while foreseeing future international situations. I hope that through these discussions you will present guiding principles for the future defense vision and modality of defense capabilities."

Related Link

• NATIONAL DEFENSE PROGRAM GUIDELINE, FY 2005- (December 10, 2004)