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14602
Sat, 08/02/2008 - 09:04
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https://oananews.org//node/14602
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Komura vows to continue addressing N. Korea issues
TOKYO, Aug. 2 Kyodo - Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura reiterated on Friday his determination to press North Korea to act on promises on denuclearization and resolving past abductions of Japanese nationals, and said he will work with Kyoko Nakayama, who was appointed to a new ministerial post in charge of dealing with theabduction issue.
''In working-level talks with North Korea in mid June, we exchanged promises. I will do my best to make sure we move from the stage of promise for promise, to that of action for action,'' Komura told a news conference after he was retained in Friday's Cabinet reshuffle. ''We are working on that through various channels.'' Vowing to join efforts with other ministries concerned in pursuing global issues such as climate change and the food crisis, Komura also said he will continue to promote foreign policy under Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's principle of placing importance on maintaining a solid alliance with the UnitedStates and strengthening relations with Asian neighbors.
Komura will also be tasked with maintaining the momentum of Japan's diplomacy built in the first half of this year, such as successfully hosting the Group of Eight summit last month and improving ties with China, including a landmarkdeal on joint gas exploration in the disputed East China Sea in June.
Relations with the United States, Japan's closest ally, are delicate ahead of the delisting of North Korea from Washington's blacklist of states sponsoringterrorism as early as on Aug. 11, and the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
The foreign minister will need to continue to press Japan's case that North Korea has yet to fulfill its promise in June to reinvestigate the abduction cases, and to ensure that the issue is not left behind as the six-party talkson the North's denuclearization move forward.
Fukuda's determination to tackle the abduction issue was underscored by the appointment of Nakayama, who has long been involved first as a liaison between the government and abductees' families and later as a special advisor to thepremier on the abduction issue, to the newly established post as minister.
''In cooperation with the international community, I will work to seek solutions to the issues of North Korea's nuclear (arms and programs),abductions and missiles,'' Komura said.
Among other pressing issues is the need to deal with a deepening rift in Japan-South Korea ties over Japan's claim to sovereignty over a pair of SouthKorean-held islets in the Sea of Japan.
Seoul has recalled its ambassador to Japan, and there are growing concerns that a trilateral summit among China, Japan and South Korea scheduled in Japan in September may be postponed, if the furor in South Korea over the islands --known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea -- does not subside.
With China, while relations have warmed significantly as marked by President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan in May and an agreement on joint gas exploration in theEast China Sea, obstacles remain.
The two neighbors have yet to settle their differences over the actual demarcation of the overlapping exclusive economic zones in the disputed watersand details such as a clear timeline for the projects remain to be negotiated.
Separately, there are also the unresolved cases of food poisoning in Japan connected to pesticide-tainted frozen dumplings imported from China. The two nations have agreed on the need to cooperate to get to the bottom of the issuesoon, but remain far apart on investigation results.
In the upcoming parliamentary session, some major issues for Komura include deliberating on whether to extend beyond January a refueling mission supporting U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in the Indian Ocean, and on enacting a controversial law to permanently authorize the dispatch of Self-Defense Forcesoverseas.
With Fukuda's pledge in May to double aid to Africa by 2010, another challenge will be to secure an increase in the fiscal 2009 budget allocation, to becompiled in late December, amid tight overall fiscal finances.
Japan, the world's second-largest economy, has been slashing its annual aid budget for nine consecutive years and was overtaken by Germany and France last year to rank fifth on the list of major donors, its lowest position since 1972when it last placed fifth.
On the global front, Japan will continue to push for reforms at the U.N.
Security Council to gain permanent membership. In the short term, it will runin the council's election for a nonpermanent seat next year.
''For us at the Foreign Ministry, nothing would be better than Minister Komura being retained,'' a senior official at the ministry said ahead of the reshuffle. ''He has the experience of having held the post before and has gained much recognition among his foreign counterparts.'' Earlier on Friday, when asked to comment on the achievements of the first Fukuda Cabinet, Komura indicated his wish that more could have been done to win public support, saying, ''I believe all ministers did our very best for the people, but whether this was adequately conveyed to the public is something that we, including myself, have to reflect on.'' ==Kyodo
''In working-level talks with North Korea in mid June, we exchanged promises. I will do my best to make sure we move from the stage of promise for promise, to that of action for action,'' Komura told a news conference after he was retained in Friday's Cabinet reshuffle. ''We are working on that through various channels.'' Vowing to join efforts with other ministries concerned in pursuing global issues such as climate change and the food crisis, Komura also said he will continue to promote foreign policy under Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's principle of placing importance on maintaining a solid alliance with the UnitedStates and strengthening relations with Asian neighbors.
Komura will also be tasked with maintaining the momentum of Japan's diplomacy built in the first half of this year, such as successfully hosting the Group of Eight summit last month and improving ties with China, including a landmarkdeal on joint gas exploration in the disputed East China Sea in June.
Relations with the United States, Japan's closest ally, are delicate ahead of the delisting of North Korea from Washington's blacklist of states sponsoringterrorism as early as on Aug. 11, and the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
The foreign minister will need to continue to press Japan's case that North Korea has yet to fulfill its promise in June to reinvestigate the abduction cases, and to ensure that the issue is not left behind as the six-party talkson the North's denuclearization move forward.
Fukuda's determination to tackle the abduction issue was underscored by the appointment of Nakayama, who has long been involved first as a liaison between the government and abductees' families and later as a special advisor to thepremier on the abduction issue, to the newly established post as minister.
''In cooperation with the international community, I will work to seek solutions to the issues of North Korea's nuclear (arms and programs),abductions and missiles,'' Komura said.
Among other pressing issues is the need to deal with a deepening rift in Japan-South Korea ties over Japan's claim to sovereignty over a pair of SouthKorean-held islets in the Sea of Japan.
Seoul has recalled its ambassador to Japan, and there are growing concerns that a trilateral summit among China, Japan and South Korea scheduled in Japan in September may be postponed, if the furor in South Korea over the islands --known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea -- does not subside.
With China, while relations have warmed significantly as marked by President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan in May and an agreement on joint gas exploration in theEast China Sea, obstacles remain.
The two neighbors have yet to settle their differences over the actual demarcation of the overlapping exclusive economic zones in the disputed watersand details such as a clear timeline for the projects remain to be negotiated.
Separately, there are also the unresolved cases of food poisoning in Japan connected to pesticide-tainted frozen dumplings imported from China. The two nations have agreed on the need to cooperate to get to the bottom of the issuesoon, but remain far apart on investigation results.
In the upcoming parliamentary session, some major issues for Komura include deliberating on whether to extend beyond January a refueling mission supporting U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in the Indian Ocean, and on enacting a controversial law to permanently authorize the dispatch of Self-Defense Forcesoverseas.
With Fukuda's pledge in May to double aid to Africa by 2010, another challenge will be to secure an increase in the fiscal 2009 budget allocation, to becompiled in late December, amid tight overall fiscal finances.
Japan, the world's second-largest economy, has been slashing its annual aid budget for nine consecutive years and was overtaken by Germany and France last year to rank fifth on the list of major donors, its lowest position since 1972when it last placed fifth.
On the global front, Japan will continue to push for reforms at the U.N.
Security Council to gain permanent membership. In the short term, it will runin the council's election for a nonpermanent seat next year.
''For us at the Foreign Ministry, nothing would be better than Minister Komura being retained,'' a senior official at the ministry said ahead of the reshuffle. ''He has the experience of having held the post before and has gained much recognition among his foreign counterparts.'' Earlier on Friday, when asked to comment on the achievements of the first Fukuda Cabinet, Komura indicated his wish that more could have been done to win public support, saying, ''I believe all ministers did our very best for the people, but whether this was adequately conveyed to the public is something that we, including myself, have to reflect on.'' ==Kyodo
