Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

Tomorrow, July 18, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit facilities and corporations that are engaged in advanced effort based on the Growth Strategy that was formulated last month. Specifically, the Prime Minister will travel to Fukuoka Prefecture, where in Kitakyushu City he will inspect a hydrogen station and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as Yahata Steel Works, which has been submitted for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Iizuka City he will visit the site of a project run by female managers at a poultry farm integrating processing, retail, and other functions. Finally, he will sit down to exchange opinions with a group of executives from venture companies in Fukuoka City, which is advancing support for business creation as a National Strategic Economic Growth Area.

Q&As

• The Japan-POK relations
• The issue of the operating standards for the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Sectors

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question concerning Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) relations. There are reports that the director-general level talks are scheduled to resume from next week. Could you tell us about the status of arrangements for these talks and also the Government’s expectations regarding their resumption, as it is said that they were interrupted due to the study of the Kono Statement.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Whatever the case I have not yet heard anything about the holding of director-general level talks. With regard to the study of the Kono Statement, the fact of the matter is that a request was received from the Diet, in response to which the Government engaged in the study in a steady manner, that is all.

REPORTER: If that is the case, does the Government not have an outlook or any particular expectations with regard to the resumption of talks?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I am not aware of any outlook at present. However, I believe that the things that have been decided should probably be upheld.

REPORTER: Today the operating standards for the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets were issued. With regard to the powers of the Independent Public Records Management Secretary, a position that has been newly created within the Cabinet Office, it appears that where necessary, the secretary can request the submission of specially designated secrets from the heads of government organizations. However, the standards also stipulate that if the head of a government organization judges that such a request would adversely affect security, that person can deny the request. Do you consider that the Independent Public Records Management Secretary has sufficient powers in this regard?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, today a meeting of the Council for the Protection of Information was held. In the meeting an overview of the draft proposal for cabinet orders and operating standards was explained and the members of the council provided their opinions on the draft in free discussion. At the end of the meeting the Government explained the future schedule and noted that following the release of the materials circulated in the meeting, after a period of approximately one week to raise awareness of the issues the draft would be opened to public comments. Following public comments the third meeting of the council will be held to discuss the opinions that have been received from the public. I hear that this is what was decided in the meeting today and the Government will watch over the process as it moves forward from now.

(Abridged)