Remarks with Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara After Their Meeting
Remarks
Secretary of State
SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure once again to be hosting my colleague and counterpart. Minister Maehara and I have had a very comprehensive, wide-ranging discussion on a number of critical issues to our bilateral relationship and to regional and global security and prosperity. I am looking forward to the 2+2 meeting that will be held with Secretary Gates and with the minister and his counterpart, the defense minister, in the coming months. And I am delighted that we will host Prime Minister Kan on his official visit to the United States later this spring.
Because of the minister’s schedule requiring him to be at the White House shortly, I will issue the rest of my statement in a press release* and allow the minister to make his statement and then we will answer your questions.
FOREIGN MINISTER MAEHARA: (Via interpreter) Well, it’s been only four months, or less than four months, since I assumed office as foreign minister, but this was my fourth meeting with Secretary Clinton and we spent a lot of time today to discover a broad ground and I was most happy to have had this meeting. And in the run-up to Prime Minister Kan’s visit to the United States, we had very useful and meaningful discussions on numerous significant issues, especially in the security area, which is the core of the deepening of our Japan-U.S. relations. I think it was very good that we could engage in discussions on various matters related to that. And since time is short, I will, through an appropriate person, provide a briefing to the press later on and tell you what sort of points we discussed.
In any case, on each of such matters that we discussed, we deepened our common understanding and we agreed that we will accelerate the work that – preparations towards the prime minister’s visit and achieve results on various issues. Thank you.
MR. CROWLEY: First question, Arshad Mohammed, Reuters.
QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Clinton, as you know, Prime Minister Gillani of Pakistan earlier today announced that he’s reversing the – Prime Minister Gillani of Pakistan today said that he’s reversing the fuel price hikes that went into effect on the 1st of the year. We have a Pakistani official estimating that these – this could cost – excuse me, an economist estimating this could cost the government as much as $58 million a month.
Given your publicly expressed view that Pakistan needs to do more to increase its revenues, what do you think about this decision? Are they putting – is the government putting political stability ahead of economic stability?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Arshad, as I have said on many occasions, we believe that the Government of Pakistan must reform its economic laws and regulations, including those that affect fuel and its cost. We have made it clear, as I did in a meeting with their Ambassador, that we think it is a mistake to reverse the progress that was being made to provide a stronger economic base for Pakistan, and we will continue to express that opinion.
MR. CROWLEY: (Off-mike.)
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) (Inaudible) with Asahi Shimbun. A question on Futenma relocation. Earlier, Secretary Clinton referred to 2+2 and the agreement on 2+2. I wonder if this will be an agreement on the site for relocation of Futenma. Minister Maehara stated that he will not set a deadline for that movement. I wonder what your views is.
And Secretary Clinton, have you reached an understanding with regard to Japanese position of not setting any deadline?
FOREIGN MINISTER MAEHARA: (Via interpreter.) At an appropriate time, we shall be holding a 2+2 meeting. We have agreed on that. Now, the – with regard to the content that is spelled out in the May 28th joint statement, we will advance whatever items that we can advance, and we agreed on that as well.
What is important is that on the Futenma relocation issue, we advance the work in accordance with the May 28th agreement, but this needs to be done with the agreement of the local community in Okinawa. We are seeing various provocative behavior of the DPRK and also, the security situation in the areas surrounding Japan and our region are changing, how we respond to that. The U.S. engagement will be very important in this regard. And the core of that U.S. presence is the U.S. Forces Japan, and we need to firmly maintain their presence. That is most important. So we will work on reducing (inaudible) on Okinawa and maintain deterrence with the presence of the U.S. forces, and we’ll strive to maintain both aspects.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I agree with the minister’s assessment that we have a challenging security environment in the East Asia region now. The United States is firmly committed to our alliance with Japan, and we continue to work on the full range of significant issues that are part of this bedrock security alliance, and of course, Futenma is part of that.
MR. CROWLEY: Jill Dougherty, CNN.
QUESTION: Thank you. Madam Secretary, the Congress, new Congress, came in – in fact, I’m sure you’ve been watching. And there could be some headaches ahead for you. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is going to be chairing the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She has said she’s against a lot of increases in foreign aid, and in fact, has a lot of doubts about it in general. She wants to cut the State Department budget. We also could have more China bashing. How do you expect or plan to work in this changed environment?
And then just one quick question – it’s been floating around today – this supposed arrest of an American woman in Iran, very conflicting information, but if there’s anything you could add, we’d appreciate it.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Jill, as you know, I served for eight years in the Senate. I served part of that time in the majority and part of that time in the minority, and I continued to work across the aisle with my colleagues on matters of importance to our country. That’s exactly what I intend to do with the new leadership and members of this Congress. I have a good working relationship with the Republican leadership, including the chairwoman of the committee in the House, and I think we’ll find a lot of common ground. There will be areas that – questions will be raised, and I intend to be always available to answer them.
With respect to the reports that we’ve seen about an arrest of an alleged American citizen, we have asked the Swiss, who are our protecting power in Iran, to please obtain as much information as possible, as soon as possible, to report to us whatever facts they can determine.
MR. CROWLEY: Last question from (inaudible) of Kyodo News.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) I’m (inaudible) of Kyodo News Service. A question for both of you with regard to DPRK. You had the trilateral Japan-U.S.-ROK foreign ministers meeting, and it’s been one month since that meeting. Still, the tension between North and South continues. For the solution through a dialogue, what sort of actions do you think DPRK, China, and other countries concerned will need to take place? And I wonder what sort of exchange of views you had in the meeting today?
FOREIGN MINISTER MAEHARA: (Via interpreter) In the meeting today, we did, of course, spend time on DPRK-related issues. Last December, thanks to Secretary Clinton’s initiative, the foreign ministers of the three countries – Japan, U.S., and Republic of Korea – met together, engaged in in-depth exchange of views, and sought – shared our views that we will seek concrete actions by DPRK. And I think that was very meaningful, and following that meeting, Jim Steinberg visited Washington – Beijing and put the request to China from Japan. Mr. Saiki, director general of the Asian Affairs Bureau, visited Beijing and Moscow to share our views, and that – we agreed on working on DPRK through coordination among five countries, and I think this was very good.
I believe what is important is for DPRK to take concrete actions with sincerity, with good faith. And we believe that in the first place, North-South dialogue should take place, and if North Korea takes concrete actions, then I think – the Six-Party Talks that China is suggesting, there will be no reason for us to reject that. In any case, to seek a peaceful solution, we believe that the DPRK, which is engaging in provocative actions, refrain from further provocative – provocations and face the international community. And we would like to continue to confirm that point.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I agree with the minister. We are consulting very closely, even today. Ambassador Bosworth is in Tokyo to report on his recent visits to both Seoul and Beijing. But we are determined to move forward, to end the provocative behavior, and to once again focus on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Thank you.
*Her prepared remarks are below. She did not have time to deliver all of this.
Remarks With Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara After Their Meeting (As Prepared)
RemarksHillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWashington, DCJanuary 6, 2011It is a great pleasure once again to be hosting my colleague and counterpart, Foreign Minister Maehara. Mr. Minister, I am looking forward to the 2+2 meeting with Secretary Gates and your Minister of Defense in the coming months, and I am delighted that we will host Prime Minister Kan on his official visit to the United States this spring.
The U.S.-Japan alliance continues to underwrite peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region—and it continues to drive regional economic growth and dynamism. Since the end of the Second World War, our relationship has evolved to address the most pressing regional and global challenges.
As we begin the second half-century of our alliance, we also are beginning a new era in our strategic cooperation. Over the course of this year, and in preparation for the summit between President Obama and Prime Minister Kan, we endeavor to strengthen all of the dimensions of our alliance to better seize the opportunities and confront the challenges of the 21st century.
This begins with deepening our bilateral security alliance, but it by no means ends there. The United States and Japan will also enhance cooperation on the full range of global and strategic issues, from nuclear proliferation to maritime security, and from global economic recovery and growth to energy security and climate change.
These efforts are not only necessary but mutually reinforcing and will ensure the alliance remains what it has been for 50 years: the cornerstone of our strategic engagement in Asia.
Curbing the spread of nuclear weapons will continue to be a prominent feature of our strategic cooperation. North Korea’s unprovoked attack on the island of Yeonpyeong and the recent revelation of its uranium enrichment program highlight the fragility of peace in Northeast Asia and the ongoing threat to regional security. We affirmed the need for North Korea to take meaningful steps to engage the Republic of Korea, restart the Six-Party Talks, and fulfill its commitments under the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement. We also agreed on finding more opportunities to hold trilateral meetings with South Korea, as we did last December.
Minister Maehara and I also discussed Iran. We underscored the resolve of the international community to persuade Iran to abide by its international obligations, participate in the negotiations process with seriousness, and address forthrightly the international community’s concerns over its nuclear ambitions.
We both reiterated our commitment to the dual-track approach of pursuing both negotiations and pressure, and we agreed on the importance of the pressure track, to achieve these objectives. The United States welcomes the steps that Japan has taken in this regard.
The joint efforts between our two countries extend well beyond nuclear nonproliferation—and we’ve continued to expand the areas in which we’re cooperating. The Minister and I reviewed our efforts in Afghanistan, where our nations remain the two largest contributors to reconstruction. We deeply appreciate Japan’s contributions to promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
We also discussed our views on the Middle East peace process, and mutual steps to enhance the capacity of the Palestinian Authority.
In Southeast Asia, we will seek more opportunities to enhance cooperation by helping the people of the Lower Mekong region build up their capacity to deal with disasters, pandemics, and development needs. In the Pacific Islands, we are identifying new ways to help farmers and others respond to the effects of climate change. With China and India, we seek to work together to forge greater energy security as their economies continue to grow. And both Foreign Minister Maehara and I reiterated the importance of having strong and productive bilateral relationships with China.
I also look forward to seeing the Minister in July at the ASEAN Regional Forum and enhancing our consultations on the East Asia Summit.
We are taking steps to deepen our bilateral engagement on economic policy, to set a path toward more economic growth and job creation in the years ahead. Our joint efforts in multilateral fora such as the G-20 are also critical. And, as you know, the United States will be hosting APEC in 2011, so we are working closely with Japan to build off their chairmanship and efforts in 2010 to achieve further substantive progress on shaping and accelerating regional economic integration.
Beyond economic and strategic issues, we also discussed a bilateral matter that is very important to the United States—the issue of international child abduction. Next week, senior officials from the U.S. Government will meet with American parents whose children were wrongfully, and in some cases illegally, taken to Japan. I encouraged Minister Maehara and the Government of Japan to work toward ratification of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Finally, we discussed an issue that is particularly important to people in both countries and throughout the region: The Foreign Minister and I agreed that our defense posture must continue to evolve in order to deal with the emerging strategic environment. We reiterated our firm intention to continue to implement existing agreements on base realignment issues, including the replacement facility for Futenma.
The goal of our two governments remains unchanged: Both countries want arrangements that are operationally viable and politically sustainable. That means the United States will reduce the impact of our bases on their host communities while, at the same time, maintaining the capabilities that we need to meet our commitment to defend the Japanese people and the security of the region. We look forward to working with the Government of Japan to move this important process forward.
And I might also add: this is an example of how effective cooperation in our bilateral relationship reinforces our cooperation on regional and global issues. By enabling our regional security architecture to evolve, we are better able to deal with emerging strategic challenges.
Foreign Minister Maehara, I look forward to continuing to work with you on both these tracks, so we can maintain stability, security, and prosperity for the region and continue to deepen our ties and enhance the lives of the people of our countries.
Thank you.
