Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

REPORTER: I would like to ask about the response to North Korea’s missile launch. Yesterday, Admiral Harry B. Harris, the Commander of the United States Pacific Command, had a discussion with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He stated that the Legislation for Peace and Security and revised Guidelines functioned very well in regard to cooperation and information sharing by Japan and the United States at the time of the missile launch. While Prime Minister Abe has expressed the same view at a recent meeting between the Government and ruling parties and at other venues, please specifically explain the ways in which cooperation improved from the Government’s perspective.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I would like to refrain from discussing specific conditions because of our relationship with the United States and the nature of the topic. Within this context, regarding the latest circumstances, Japan and the United States shared information in a timely fashion utilizing the Alliance Coordination Mechanism and quickly reached a common understanding of circumstances. This is what we accomplished.

REPORTER: I think the national security legislation has not taken effect yet. How did you specifically cooperate?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: It consisted of information exchanges and policy coordination. We had strong cooperation in these areas.

REPORTER: I have a question about the comfort women issue. At a meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held in Geneva, Mr. Shinsuke Sugiyama, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, yesterday explained the government position that the Japanese Government did not find evidence that confirms so-called “forced participation” by the military and public authorities in the materials it discovered. What is your evaluation of the presentation as an opportunity to communicate this awareness to the international community?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: This took place in order to respond to questions presented by the Committee about the comfort women issue. This was simply a matter of Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Sugiyama representing the Japanese side to explain related facts in response to questions from the Committee, while taking into account the agreement by Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) regarding the comfort women issue reached at the Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the end of last year.

REPORTER: Do you have any concerns about a negative reaction from the ROK side on the basis that the explanation undermines the spirit of the agreement by Japan and the ROK from the end of last year?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I do not think that it ran contrary to the agreement because, as I just mentioned, the explanation simply offered related facts in response to questions submitted by the Committee and there was nothing that attacked or criticized the ROK Government. At any rate, I believe it is very important for the two governments to faithfully implement the agreement.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Changing topic, yesterday the Ministry of Defense announced that it confirmed the passage of a foreign submarine through the contiguous zone off the Southeastern coast of Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture on February 15. While it did not enter Japan’s territorial waters, please update us on your analysis of the submarine’s country and purpose of the passage.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces conduct such warning and surveillance activities and intelligence gathering. I would like to refrain from commenting on the content from this standpoint. I will also not mention anything certain about the aim of the submarine’s passage. Although international law does not prohibit foreign submarines from passing through the contiguous waters zone of a coastal country, the Government concluded that our awareness of the passage of a submarine in the contiguous waters zone of Japan’s territorial waters on the Sea of Japan side deserved attention and thus disclosed the information.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I would like to ask about crude oil. Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other countries agreed yesterday to a freeze on raising crude oil output yesterday amid a steady decline in crude oil prices. However, they did not proceed with output cutbacks. What is your view of the decision?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, the Government is always monitoring such activities by Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other major oil-producing countries because of their strong influence on the crude oil market. We intend to carefully watch the situation because of a large impact from these efforts by major oil-producing countries on the crude oil market.

REPORTER: While the agreement is conditional on acceptance by Iran, Iraq, and other oil-producing countries, what are your expectations for acceptance?
 
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government intends to determine its responses while constantly monitoring activities of these key countries because of their large impact.