= N E W S B R I E F I N G
=
= OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
= (PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
= WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301
====================================================
DoD News Briefing
September 11, 2000
Secretary of Defense William Cohen
(Press Conference by U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee in New York, with
Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Japanese Foreign Minister Kono, Japanese
Defense Minister Torashima, and State Department Spokesman Richard A. Boucher.
Transcript as released by the U.S. Department of State.)
Boucher: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Secretary Albright and Japanese Foreign
Minister Kono will sign the Special Measures Agreement between the United States and
Japan, and then after they are finished we will have a press conference and they will
deliver brief statements at the beginning of the press conference, first Secretary
Albright and then Japanese Minister Kono, Secretary Cohen, and the Minister of State
for Defense Torashima.
(The Agreement is signed.)
(Applause.)
Albright: I am very pleased to join Secretary Cohen in welcoming Japan's Foreign
Minister Kono and State Minister for Defense Torashima to New York for today's meeting
of the Security Consultative Committee, better known as the "2+2". As a sign of the
health of the U.S.-Japan alliance, Foreign Minister Kono and I have just signed a new
Special Measures Agreement on Japan's Host Nation Support. This agreement is a
tangible expression of our mutual commitment to Asian peace and security and strongly
attests to the shared value and vision that underpin our bilateral relationship.
We are particularly pleased that the substance of this agreement was developed in time
for the Okinawa summit. The summit provided an excellent opportunity for President
Clinton and Prime Minister Mori to showcase the vitality of the U.S.-Japan partnership
and security alliance. Our close cooperation, as exemplified by the Special Measures
Agreement, is even more important as we face dramatic changes in the East Asian
security landscape.
During today's discussions, we reviewed recent steps toward strengthening our
alliance, which remains the cornerstone of U.S.-Asia policy. Key achievements this
past year include progress in implementing the guidelines for U.S.-Japan defense
cooperation and the recommendations of the Special Action Committee on Okinawa.
On regional issues, our primary focus was the need for continued close cooperation
with the Republic of Korea in preserving stability on the Korean Peninsula. The United
States joins Japan in supporting President Kim's engagement policy and in welcoming
progress in the South-North dialogue. We are committed to exploring ways to encourage
North Korea's emergence from its long period of isolation while addressing the
concerns of the international community about its nuclear and long-range missile
programs. Foreign Minister Kono also described his recent visit to Beijing, and we
discussed, as we have before, the importance of China playing a constructive and
responsible role in regional security issues.
Looking ahead, we agreed to continue progress on implementing the Defense Guidelines
and to go forward with next steps on Futenma relocation. Secretary Cohen and I urged
early ratification by the Japanese Diet of the Special Measures Agreement, and we
emphasized again the desire of U.S. forces in Japan to be good neighbors to the
communities that host them.
Thank you very much. Secretary Cohen.
Cohen: Thank you, Secretary Albright. As Secretary Albright has indicated, today's
meeting takes place at a time of considerable hope in the Asia-Pacific region and
strength in the important U.S.-Japan security relationship. This is the 40th
anniversary of the current U.S.-Japan security treaty. It's been almost 50 years since
we formed this alliance, and our meeting here today reminds us of the critical role
that this alliance has played over the last half century and will continue to play
long into the future.
The U.S.-Japan alliance provided a bulwark of democratic commitment against communism
during the Cold War, and now it provides a bedrock of stability on which to build an
increasingly prosperous and secure future for the region. Foreign Minister Kono and
Secretary Albright have just signed a five-year renewal of the Special Measures
Agreement under which the Government of Japan pays for most of the labor, utility and
training relocations costs associated with the forward deployment of U.S. forces in
Japan. This agreement is a powerful statement of our nation's shared commitment to a
continued U.S. presence in the region. And, today, we have also marked substantial
progress in our work under the Defense Guidelines to coordinate our peacetime planning
and our cooperation during contingencies. This is, again, a concrete reflection of our
shared commitment to the effectiveness of the alliance.
And, finally, we have approved a Joint Statement of the Environmental Principles which
we follow in managing the presence of U.S. forces in Japan -- again, a further
manifestation of our shared commitment to work together in a transparent manner to
ensure the continued good neighborly relations between U.S. forces in Japan and the
Japanese communities who host them.
Tomorrow I will continue the security discussions at the Pentagon with Minister
Torashima, and next week I will visit Japan at the end of my trip to Asia. Those
meetings provide further affirmation of the enduring importance of this alliance, the
enduring commitment of our two nations to regional peace and security, and the
centrality of this relationship to U.S. security policy in Asia.
Thank you.
Albright: Foreign Minister.
Kono: It was most meaningful to hold the "2+2" meeting for the first time in two years
against the backdrop of various new developments in the Asia-Pacific region and to
reaffirm that Japan-U.S. security arrangements continue to play an extremely important
role in preserving the peace and stability of the region.
I kept you, friend reporters, for a long time but the meeting was not just a long one
but also a very substantive one and, for me, a very interesting meeting. At our
meeting, we first exchanged views on East Asian situation and the Okinawa issue. On
Okinawa, both sides confirmed the importance of continuing steady progress on the SACO
final report. In this connection, the Japanese side took up issues regarding the
return and relocation of Futenma Air Station in accordance with the Japanese cabinet
decision of December last year. The two sides reaffirmed that they will continue to
consult closely, as stated in the Joint Security Declaration.
Also at the meeting, we confirmed the significance of the new Special Measures
Agreement pertaining to Japan's host nation support, which we signed just a moment
ago, and agreed to issue a Joint Statement of Environmental Principles. In the
statement, we express our determination to strengthen our cooperation for
environmental protection in accordance with these principles.
I believe these achievements will be conducive to the effective operation of
Japan-U.S. security arrangements.
Torashima: The four ministers of Japan and the United States met together and
conducted the meeting of the Security Consultative Committee. We covered a broad range
of issues, and I am very satisfied that we were able to have very substantive and
fruitful discussions. The substance of our discussions has already been covered by
Foreign Minister Kono. This time, we are gratified that the new Special Measures
Agreement has been signed and we also have been able to build a new Consultative
Coordination Mechanism for the implementation of the Cooperation Guidelines. And I
believe this has been very meaningful for the furtherance of our security cooperation.
Now, we also took up issues related to the facilities and areas of U.S. armed forces
in Japan and also we agreed on the importance of maintaining and furthering our mutual
efforts for good neighborly relations in the days ahead as well by doing our utmost in
our cooperation. We shall further develop an unswerving cooperation alliance between
Japan and the United States that has been built over the past half century.
Boucher: Ladies and gentlemen, we have limited time so we'll try to take two questions
from each side. Let's start with Mr. Schweid.
Q: Well, since we have limited time, with the usual apologies -- (inaudible) --
subjects -- we always have limited time -- the Palestine Council has deferred for two
months now the declaration of independence. Does that give you more running room? What
is the U.S. going to do with this additional time, please?
Albright: Well, I think that this decision reflects a Palestinian commitment to the
peace process and their commitment to continued negotiations. And it is consistent
with Chairman Arafat's expression of that commitment to the President and to me in New
York last week.
As we have said for some time, we have been opposed to unilateral actions, including a
unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence. And the Oslo Accords, as we all
know, were based upon the principle of mutuality, and a final agreement can only come
about through negotiations. So there still is obviously a difficult road ahead and we
are going to be looking to the parties to make the tough decisions that will lead to a
lasting peace, and we are prepared to continue to be of assistance as meetings go
forward.
Q: Would you elaborate a little bit on the U.S. assistance because, essentially, the
Administration has tried every known option of assisting -- with the President, with
you, Dennis Ross. Is there any new wrinkle, any new approach? Are you going to revisit
the methods, the attempts you have made already?
Albright: As wrinkled as we might be, we are going to continue doing what we are
doing. I think that there are various combinations of meetings and things that can
take place, and I think that there are lots of things that we will keep looking at,
because I think you know that we have really put a lot of effort into this and
consider it one of the most important things that can be accomplished, and we'll
continue to try to work, Barry.
Q: A question for Secretary Albright and Secretary Cohen. As was mentioned in your
statement right now -- and I'm talking about the Futenma Air Station -- there has been
a request for a 15-year time limit on the use of the substitute airfield. And I wonder
if the U.S. can not accept that at all, or not. Also, what sort of specific responses
did you give in the meeting today on this Futenma issue?
Cohen: If I could respond, there was agreement. Both Japan and the United States agree
that we should abide by the Joint Security Declaration that was signed back in 1996
between Prime Minister Hashimoto and President Clinton, and that we would continue to
consult with each other and our arrangement would depend upon the nature of the
security situation at any given time. And so that declaration is something that both
Japan and the United States agree to and will continue to abide by.
Q: Foreign Minister Kono, I am sure you have heard of the reports made from North
Korea by Kim Jong-il that the North Koreans might be willing to give up their missile
program in exchange perhaps for some assistance in satellite launches. Does the
Japanese Government think that this is a genuine offer?
And for Secretary Albright, along the same lines, do you think it's time for the
United States to sit down and actually have these talks with the North Koreans? I know
that you've been exploring them with the Russians, but do you think it's time for the
U.S. to sit down with the North Koreans?
Kono: With regard to your question, the North Korean missile issue, we have heard from
the Russians as well a similar story. But we are not really sure; as Japan, we have
not been able to ascertain whether that really reflects the genuine thinking or
genuine feeling on the part of the North Koreans. And since we can not ascertain that
information as genuine policy of theirs, we can not carry our policy any further than
where we are today.
Albright: Well, as you know, we have had ongoing discussions with them on a couple of
subjects and we will continue to do so as the opportunity presents itself. And I think
all of us are interested in getting more definitive answers on these questions.
Q: Secretary Cohen and Minister Torashima, the question about the Korean Peninsula
situation. There was in June the North-South summit, and since then there has been
some developments there. Do you think that the tension on the Korean Peninsula has
been easing? Do you think there are some clear indications of such a loosening of
tension?
Cohen: We are encouraged by some of the steps that are being taken by the North
Koreans in dealing with the South Korean Government and the people. We see some
encouraging signs, but these are just first steps and we need to see much more in the
way of a substantive commitment to having a peaceful relationship with the South and
to see whether the North Korean Government is willing to become fully integrated into
the international community.
So while we are encouraged, we will still look with great care and take prudent
measures to protect our security interests as we see how events unfold. But there
certainly have been some positive signs and we look forward to seeing if they can
become more deeply ingrained in the process.
Torashima: I had great expectations for the North-South summit and I have great
expectations for the ensuring results -- certainly a hope that there will be further
successes, and Japan certainly will provide great support for such successes in the
future.
Unfortunately, however, North Korea still -- it is most likely that it is deployed
No-Dong, which covers virtually all Japanese territories, and we do not really see any
change as of this moment in the military situation on the Korean Peninsula. We will
have to closely watch how this North-South summit will lead to changes in the
ballistic missile development in order to further alleviate tension on the Korean
Peninsula and to further encourage positive developments. I believe the trilateral
coordination between Japan, U.S. and the Republic of Korea will continue to be very
important.
Boucher: Thank you very much for coming, ladies and gentlemen.
-END-
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