Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I would like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved eight measures for submission to the Diet and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, the Minister for Foreign Affairs made a statement concerning the Diplomatic Bluebook 2015.

Q&As

REPORTER: I have a question in connection with the Diplomatic Bluebook on which the Minister for Foreign Affairs briefed today’s Cabinet meeting. As with the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the description that Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) share fundamental values, such as democracy and fundamental human rights, has been removed from the Diplomatic Bluebook. Was this done to reflect the Government’s recognition that there is a gap exists which must be narrowed regarding the views of the two countries on these issues?    

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: No, that is not the case at all. The content of the Diplomatic Bluebook is revised regularly each year. In this process, it is modified in line with the policy speech and other sources. It remains the case that the ROK is Japan’s most important neighbor and that Japan will continue to make consistent efforts to build multi-layered and future-oriented Japan-ROK relations from a broad perspective.  

(Abridged)