Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• The issues related to the statement Minister of Finance Aso on the situation in Ukraine
• The issue related to the missing Malaysian aircraft
• The issue related to security including the right to collective self-defense

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the statement Minister of Finance Aso made during his press conference following the Cabinet meeting. The Minister drew an analogy about the situation in Ukraine, saying “If only Kiev were to go to Europe, it would be like if Miyazaki Prefecture became independent of Japan and Japan lost Takamagahara” (a sort of Japanese Mount Olympus). The statement can be interpreted as an expression of some level of understanding by Minister Aso towards Russia. However, the Japanese Government has been urging Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Some point out there is discordance within the Government. Can you please share your views on this?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First, with regard to Deputy Prime Minister Aso’s statement, I believe it is not appropriate for me to make any comments as I am not aware of the statement in its entirety. I presume the Deputy Prime Minister was describing the difficulties of the issues surrounding Ukraine. In any case, as I stated repeatedly, Japan considers that Russia’s incorporation of Crimea infringes on unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and we can never overlook an attempt to change the status quo with force in the background. There is no change to Japan’s position. Furthermore, this recognition was shared fully with the Deputy Prime Minister through the meeting of the National Security Council and other instances. Therefore, as I understand it, the Deputy Prime Minister was describing the difficulties of the issues surrounding Ukraine.

REPORTER: My question concerns the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft. The Malaysian Government expressed its view that the aircraft crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. Can you tell us what information the Japanese Government received, if any?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I am aware of the announcement made by Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib. According to the Prime Minister’s announcement, the Malaysia Airlines aircraft ended its flight in the Indian Ocean. This news is extremely tragic. Japan will continue to cooperate based on coordination with the Malaysian Government.

REPORTER: Today, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) launched the Headquarters for the Promotion of the Development of the Legal System for Security, which comes under the direct control of the LDP President. Some members of the party expressed caution with regard to revising the interpretation of the Constitution. What kinds of intra-party discussions do you personally hope to see?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I think it is a good thing that the party is once more discussing the issues of security, in particular the issue of the right to collective self-defense. In any case, I view that the party’s opinion will converge over the course of the discussions.