Press Conference by the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• The issue of Takeshima
• Japan’s support for counter-terrorism measures

REPORTER: I understand that the Government will dispatch Parliamentary Vice-Minister Yohei Matsumoto to attend the Takeshima Day ceremony on February 22. Could you please explain the aims behind the dispatch?

DEPUTY CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY KATO: First of all, by attending the ceremony, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Matsumoto will express sincere respect to all those who have worked exhaustively to resolve the Takeshima issue, including Shimane Prefecture and the Shimane Prefectural Assembly. In addition, I understand that at the ceremony, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Matsumoto will carefully communicate the Government’s stance and the measures we are taking once again, in an effort to promote awareness among the public.

REPORTER: I have a follow-up question. In response to the plans to dispatch Parliamentary Vice-Minister Matsumoto, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) stated that the ROK Government will firmly respond to any provocations by the Japanese Government over ROK territory. Could I ask for your views on this statement, as well as your thoughts on how this dispatch may affect Japan-ROK relations?

DEPUTY CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY KATO: First, as the Japanese Government has consistently stated until now, Takeshima is an inherent part of the territory of Japan. This stance remains completely unchanged. At the same time, with regard to dispatching Parliamentary Vice-Minister Matsumoto to attend the ceremony, the Japanese Government has absolutely no intention of damaging Japan-ROK relations, or any other such ill intentions. As I explained just now, our aims are to express respect to those who have worked hard to address the Takeshima issue, and also to promote public awareness. Upon reviewing all the various factors, the Government made a comprehensive judgment and decided to dispatch Parliamentary Vice-Minister Matsumoto. The ROK is our most important neighbor, and friendly relations are essential for the peace and prosperity of not only our two countries, but also East Asia as a whole. Moreover, from a broader perspective, we will continue to make steady efforts to build a future-oriented and multilayered cooperative relationship.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: On a separate topic, this morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Japan’s support for counter-terrorism measures. I believe the Government will provide 15.5 million US dollars of counter-terrorism capacity building assistance, consisting of border control, investigation capacity, and development of legal systems. Although it is still the early stages, do you have any more detailed information regarding how you envision this assistance being used? For example, do you foresee the assistance being used for vehicles for investigative authorities, or for arming police officers, such as with rifles?

DEPUTY CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY KATO: Given that it was the Minister for Foreign Affairs who announced this plan, I ask that you inquire with MOFA for further details. As far as I am aware, the assistance will cover border control, investigation/prosecution capacity, development of legal systems for countering terrorism, and other measures in the Middle East and Africa. In any case, this support will be provided in non-military fields, and is part of Japan’s contribution to counter-terrorism efforts. Regarding specific uses, I ask that you confirm the details with MOFA.

(Abridged)