Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary(Excerpt)

Q&A

• The issue related to the situation in Ukraine
• The issue related to the Kono Statement
• The issue related to deployment of Ground Self-Defense Force as part of defense measures for remote islands.
• The issue related to the leakage of contaminated water at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the situation in Ukraine. The administration of President Yanukovych fell, in effect. There are now fears of confrontation between the eastern and western regions of the country, with the west being pro-European and the east being pro-Russian. Can I ask for your thoughts on the situation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, Japan will continue to closely follow the developments in Ukraine. Japan strongly expects that the situation will be settled in a peaceful manner and Ukraine will restore its stability as soon as possible, with the territorial integrity of the country remaining intact.

REPORTER: The current administration in Ukraine is pro-Russian, and I believe the situation could have a certain degree of influence on the administration of President Putin of Russia. Do you think that there will be any impact on Japan-Russia relations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I do not expect there will be any impact at all. That being said, as I just stated, Japan strongly expects that the situation will be settled in a peaceful manner and Ukraine will restore its stability as soon as possible.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question concerning an opinion poll conducted over the weekend by Fuji Television Network, Inc., and the Sankei Shimbun. With regard to the Kono Statement on the so-called comfort women issue, 58.5 percent, or more than half of those polled, responded that, "The Government should revise the Kono Statement." Additionally, in response to the question, "Do you think that the Government should  verify the background of the formulation of the Kono Statement on comfort women?" 66.3 percent responded, "Yes." In both cases, a large number of respondents answered in the affirmative - more than half, in fact. What are your thoughts on these opinion polls?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, I stated the basic stance of the Government on this issue in the recent Budget Committee meeting. The position of the Abe Cabinet is that we should not turn this issue into a political or diplomatic issue. It was in light of this position that I responded to Diet member Mr. Hiroshi Yamada of the Japan Restoration Party that these testimonies were provided on the condition of confidentiality. I noted that the Government would seek to consider to what extent we can summit the information while maintaining the confidentiality of the testimonies. I think this is the bottom line.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Some press reports are suggesting that two locations on Ishigaki Island are being considered as candidates for the deployment of Ground Self-Defense Force as part of defense measures for remote islands. What are the facts behind these reports?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, my recognition is that there is no factual basis to such reports. Currently, the Ministry of Defense is engaged in survey work around the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture and the Sakishima Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, among other remote islands. At this stage, we cannot yet reach a conclusion about what units we will deploy on what islands.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: At Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 110 tons of water contaminated with high concentrations of radiation leaked from a water storage tank. In terms of both monitoring and operations, the leak could have been due to human error, or it could have been intentional. What are your thoughts on this matter?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, the current situation is that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is engaging in efforts based on instructions from the  Nuclear Regulation Authority. These efforts include stopping the leak and identifying the scope of contamination, collecting the contaminated water, and measuring the status of contamination. The leakage of contaminated water is now entirely halted. In addition, as there are no drainage channels leading to the sea nearby, there is no leakage into the sea; and in order to prevent further expansion of the contamination we will remove contaminated soil, as well as collect contaminated water. With regard to the cause of the leak, as you just mentioned, there is a high possibility that it was not a mechanical fault, but rather caused by some kind of intervention by a worker, including the possibility of an operating error. Therefore, TEPCO is currently investigating the facts behind the leak.

REPORTER: I have another question on this topic. On March 11, it will have been three years since the accident. In terms of management, what are your thoughts about the fact that human errors are causing accidents even now?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: It is extremely regrettable that this leak of contaminated water occurred. To ensure that this never happens again, I believe that it will be necessary to revise measures to prevent reoccurrences, and also to thoroughly restructure organizations. We will also give full consideration to the severe working environment on-site. Through the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the Government will continue to firmly caution TEPCO and monitor TEPCO's progress. We will urge TEPCO to take definite measures to ensure there is no reoccurrence of such trouble and errors.

(Abridged)