Press Conference

1. Announcements

None.

2. Questions and Answers

Question:
Yesterday, a bilateral security committee related to the safe operation of the Osprey within our country was convened. However, in yesterday's House of Councillors' Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, I believe that a proposal to establish a joint investigation committee for ensuring safety under the bilateral security committee was given by an LDP Diet member, to which you and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gemba replied to the effect that, "This needs to be considered." Can you tell us the current situation of the considerations on establishing this new organization and how you intend to work on this?

Minister:
Yesterday, a bilateral security committee was newly established based on the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), and consultations have started between Japan and the U.S. on the operation of the Osprey, which includes low-level flight training. I feel that our major objectives will be accomplished if we are able to conduct sufficient consultations on flight safety and operations in this bilateral security committee.

Question:
So, there is no need to create anything new in particular?

Minister:
I feel that sufficient consultations between Japan and the U.S. can be conducted within the framework of the bilateral security committee.

Question:
Yesterday, Prime Minister Noda remarked in the plenary session in the House of Representatives to the effect that "We will undertake firm responses, including the use of the SDF" on the response for the Senkaku Islands. Can you tell us if there have been any changes in policy for the type of response by the SDF?

Minister:
I think the Prime Minister has made mention before that on the conditions, or what kind of situation is needed for this. The defense of the islands, whether it is the Senkakus or any other place, is primarily under the jurisdiction of the Japan Coast Guard if it is out on that sea, or the police. In cases where responses are difficult with said arrangements, and if a maritime patrol activity order is given for the sea area, or when a public security operation or defensive mobilization order is given for the land area where police are unable to respond to a given situation, the SDF can operate under said orders, and it is a legally ensured response. I feel that it was expressed in such a way to include all of said notions. Therefore, my understanding is that there was no particular change in policy, but he simply expressed the obvious measures that we would take based on our legal framework.

Question:
In yesterday's bilateral security committee, you just mentioned to the effect that "it is possible to make responses within the framework of the bilateral security committee." So what specifically do you envision can be done within this framework to reduce the burden of the local communities in Okinawa, such as changing the flight route or setting a certain altitude in the low-level flights?

Minister:
It has only begun yesterday, and I was attending the plenary session and the House of Councillors' Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense yesterday, so I have not yet received sufficient reports on specific discussions that were conducted in this committee. Since this is the first meeting, I think both Japan and the U.S. have made an initial confirmation for the kind of awareness they need to prepare in starting the consultations and on the general direction of the consultations, as well as conducting mutual introductions by the members. The first meetings usually are such affairs, so I don't think the things that you have mentioned have been consulted on yet. I feel that this depends on the content of the mutual consultations in the future.

Question:
The Director-General level consultations are scheduled to be convened in Washington, D.C. Can you tell us what kind of instructions or mandates you have given on this, as far as you feel it is safe to say?

Minister:
Naturally, when all of the processes are completed sometime in the next month, we will be making a visit to the U.S. Currently, the issue that the Japan side is interested in, particularly with regard to the Osprey, is to provide information on the investigation of the two accidents to the Japan side at the earliest possible opportunity, and to provide sufficient explanation on the details to the analysis evaluation team that Japan will be dispatching. I did request to reiterate this request to the U.S. side, although I did not call for special attention on this, and to make sure that the content is given in a form where both Japan and the U.S. can easily understand that safety has been confirmed as well as to convey precisely the requests given by the Japan side with regard to the issues related to the Osprey. Then, if something becomes necessary in light of the results after their return, I will be going over to confirm this. That is the general picture of things that I am envisioning. Of course, the entire consultations between Japan and the U.S. are not limited to the issue of the Osprey alone, so I have also made requests to conduct information exchange on a wide range of issues and perception of the situation concerning the direction in which we should steer the Japan-U.S. alliance in the future for the mid-term and long-term.

Question:
Regarding the action of the bilateral security committee that was mentioned earlier, although we understand that the specific contents of the consultations are going to be decided in the coming future, what kind of things do you personally anticipate for this, within this framework?

Minister:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking the lead in this, and we are merely involved as a member. Therefore, I don't see the MOD taking the lead in this bilateral security committee nor everything turning out as we hope it would. However, one of our objectives in this bilateral security committee is to at least come up with some kind of commitment between Japan and the U.S. that will confirm the safety related to low-level flight training that many people are concerned with when operating the Osprey, and which can be explained to the people in Japan, so I am hoping that this objective can be accomplished.

Question:
We have been hearing that the investigation report for the accident in Morocco will be coming out at the end of July, and now a Director-General level meeting is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Japan time. Will the U.S. be giving a notification such as for providing information on that occasion?

Minister:
I have not heard of it, and I don't think such an arrangement is going to happen. My understanding is that the U.S. side will notify the Japan side when the preparations to present the accident investigation results of both accidents have been completed. On that occasion, as I have been saying for some time now, there will be a process where we will be dispatching an analysis evaluation team to receive the explanation, so I am not aware that the Director-General level meeting is being held for said reason.

Question:
Do you have any specific schedule on when that is going to be?

Minister:
Unfortunately, I have not yet been notified of a set date from the U.S. side, so I think the U.S. side needs some more time to clear the various processes.

Question:
You mentioned to the effect that you hope to come up with some kind of commitment for the low-level flight training in the bilateral security committee. After that, I think there will be some discussions on the routes concerning the take-off and landing at Futenma. Will there be any discussions with regard to this?

Minister:
The take-off and landing at Futenma are conducted at low altitudes. Naturally, low-level flight training cannot be conducted without flying at low altitudes during take-off and landing, so you can assume that such things are also going to be included.

(End)