Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

• An overview of the Cabinet meeting
• A meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on the Advancement of Disaster Waste Management (the compilation of a timetable for the disposal of disaster waste)
• The change to the Implementation Plan for Japan's International Peace Cooperation Assignment in the Golan Heights (including 6-month extension of the SDF's deployment)

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I would first like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved 10 general and other measures and the promulgation of legislation, as well as cabinet orders and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense made a statement concerning a change to the Implementation Plan for the International Peace Cooperation Assignment in the Golan Heights, and the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the payment level reduction of the retirement allowance of national public servants and related matters.

I made a statement first concerning a meeting of the Ministerial Meeting on the Advancement of Disaster Waste Management, which was held before the Cabinet meeting. This was the fourth meeting of the Ministerial Meeting. At the outset, the Minister of the Environment reported on the compilation of a timetable for the disposal of disaster waste that has resulted from the Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition to the existing target to complete the disposal by the end of FY2013, the timetable newly set forth a mid-term target to complete 60% of the disposal by the end of FY2012, that is, March of next year, in the coastal areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, which has much of the disaster waste. Next, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reported on initiatives for promoting the recycling of disaster waste. Lastly, in light of these reports, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made a statement concerning the implementation of the timetable for disaster waste disposal with respect to mainly the following three items:

1. The progress of the disposal in the coastal areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures needs to be gauged, and measures necessary to achieve the targets need to be implemented.
   
   
2. Appreciation is extended to the many municipalities which gave a favorable consideration to the acceptance of wide-area disposal, thanks to which significant progress has been achieved. The Government must continue to make every effort to promote wide-area disposal.
   
   
3. As disaster waste is steadily re-utilized in reconstruction work, the Government must continue to make efforts to expand the recycling of disaster waste.

The Government will continue to make concerted efforts to move the initiatives forward without stopping the process toward the recovery and reconstruction of the disaster-afflicted areas.

I have one more announcement. It is about the change to the Implementation Plan for the International Peace Cooperation Assignment in the Golan Heights and related matters. Following the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution this past June to extend the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) for six months, at today's Cabinet meeting, similarly, a change was made to the Implementation Plan for Japan's International Peace Cooperation Assignment in the Golan Heights, including to extend the term of the dispatch (of the Self-Defense Forces) for another six months, and an amendment was made to the relevant cabinet order. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense made statements regarding this matter at today's Cabinet meeting.

Q&As

• London 2012 Olympics (Japan's women's football team becoming a finalist)

REPORTER: Japan's women's football team has sealed its place in the final of the Olympic tournament. Can you share your thoughts on this?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: With the Japanese women's football team becoming the world's number one at the World Cup last year, I expected the team naturally to move up to one of top ranking teams based on its ability. It has steadily met our expectations. This is truly a remarkable achievement in which the people take great interest. The team is now assured of at least a silver medal. In this sense, I do hope the team will win the nicest color medal.

(Abridged)