UNDER SECRETARY BURNS' APRIL 10 MEETING WITH

S E C R E T STATE 061225 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP MNUC PARM PINR SNAR IZ IR IN AF JA NATO, G-8, UNSC SUBJECT: UNDER SECRETARY BURNS' APRIL 10 MEETING WITH JAPANESE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TSUNEO NISHIDA Classified By: EAP:K Stephens, Reason 1.4(b)and(d) ¶1. (U) Classified by: Acting EAP A/S Kathleen Stephens, reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶2. (U) Participants: Morning meeting U.S. Under Secretary Burns EAP A/S Kathy Stephens (acting) P Special Assistant Andrew Shaw EAP/J Director Wendell Albright (acting) JAPAN Deputy Foreign Minister Nishida Motohide Yoshikawa, Director General, Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, MOFA Nobokatsu Kanehara, Minister, Embassy of Japan Shogo Yoshitake, Deputy Director, First North American Division, MOFA African Affairs Bureau, MOFA Lunch U.S. Under Secretary Burns EAP A/S Kathy Stephens (acting) P Special Assistant Andrew Shaw JAPAN Deputy Foreign Minister Nishida Nobokatsu Kanehara, Minister, Embassy of Japan Shogo Yoshitake, Deputy Director, First North American Division, MOFA Afternoon meeting U.S. Under Secretary Burns Treasury U/S Stuart Levey EB A/S Tony Wayne EAP A/S Kathy Stephens (acting) P Special Assistant Andrew Shaw JAPAN Deputy Foreign Minister Nishida Motohide Yoshikawa, Director General, Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, MOFA Akitaka Saiki, DCM, Embassy of Japan Shogo Yoshitake, Deputy Director, First North American Division, MOFA Makoto Matsuda, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan ¶3. (C) SUMMARY. Under Secretary Burns and DFM Nishida met for four hours and discussed a wide range of topics. Japan will keep some Air Self Defense Forces (ASDF) liaison personnel in Iraq, but PRTs will be difficult due to security. Afghanistan drug production is a problem which can perhaps be approached through the G8. Despite press reports, the USG is committed to the diplomatic track on resolving the Iran nuclear problem. Japan wants a response to PM Koizumi's letter on UNSC reform. U/S Burns suggests a Trilateral Strategic Dialogue meeting in Tokyo in late May. END SUMMARY. -------------- IRAN -------------- ¶4. (C) Under Secretary Burns refuted press reports over the weekend that the U.S. planned to attack Iran. Burns said the U.S. is firmly, clearly, unequivocally on a diplomatic track. We are not looking for a war with Iran, and the fact that there are military plans for such an eventuality doesn't mean anything - we probably have plans to invade Iceland. That said, we are not taking the military option off the table, but the emphasis is on diplomacy. Nishida thanked Burns for reaffirming USG support for diplomacy. He noted however that it would be better if the USG were more clear on its policy. People are upset about Iraq, and will seize on these reports about Iran, which could upset diplomatic efforts. The U.S. needs to be clear that its focus is on diplomacy, and use a different statement than "all options are on the table," which is ambiguous. ¶5. (S) Burns noted the key question is not when Iran can begin manufacturing nuclear weapons, but rather when Iranian scientists can master the knowledge and techniques necessary. Nishida agreed, fearing they would reach that threshhold within a year. ¶6. (SBU) Further discussion on Iran septel. -------------- IRAQ - CONTINUED JAPANESE PARTICIPATION -------------- ¶7. (C) Burns and Nishida discussed the need for the quick formation of a government in Iraq, and the need for a more decisive Prime Minister, and shared assessments of the situation in Iraq. Nishida, referring to the Quad talks taking place in London, said Japan wanted to maintain some sort of presence in Iraq after the Ground Self Defense Forces (GSDF) contingent leaves. He said Japan needed to know by April 21 when GSDF should be withdrawn, due to planning requirements. Nishida said that Japan had decided to keep a small ASDF liaison contingent in Baghdad and Basra, and noted that Japan's survey of security conditions at various airports in Iraq was still underway. ¶8. (C) Turning to provincial reconstruction teams, Nishida said that Japanese involvement would be difficult mostly due to security concerns, but the GOJ is ready to listen. Burns stressed the value of PRTs as a way to help extend the reach of Iraq's central government into the provinces. Nishida noted that the GOJ sent a senior-level delegation to Basra at the UK's request to look at a "kind of PRT," and they reported that it was not safe, Japan's main reason for not sending people on a permanent basis - but perhaps Japan could base people in Kuwait and send them to PRTs on a temporary basis. When Burns broached the possibility of the U.S. military providing security for Japanese PRT participants, Nishida said that was a "delicate" question. -------------- AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶9. (C) Burns thanked Nishida for Japan's work in Afghanistan, in particular OEF fueling support and work on the Kandahar-Heart and Kabul-Kandahar roads. Nishida said Japan was accelerating its DDR activities and was initiating DIAG (disarming illegal armed groups) activities. Japan plans to invite Karzai to Tokyo in July to review DDR and DIAG plans. Nishida noted that the Central Asian countries are also important, and thought that Afghanistan and the other Central Asian countries might be a potential third target region in the Strategic Development Alliance. Like Iraq, it would be difficult for Japan to participate in PRTS in Afghanistan because of security. ¶10. (U) Burns noted news reports about MOFA's plans to reorganize its office that covers Asia and noted that SCA A/S Boucher would be in Tokyo April 24 for a Sri Lanka meeting; he suggested to DG Yoshikawa he might want to meet with Boucher while he is there. ¶11. (C) Burns raised the problem of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, noting State's narcotics experts said we had spent $250 million to eradicate only 4000 hectares. Burns suggested discussing at the upcoming G8 political directors meeting a possible joint approach within the G8 to try to convince Karzai to allow aerial eradication of poppy. Nishida said Japan was also concerned. -------------- NATO GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP -------------- ¶12. (C) Burns said the US and UK have made a joint proposal for NATO's consideration, which France will oppose, but we believe NATO will support it. Nishida sees great value, but cautioned that we need to coordinate our press points because this is a sensitive issue in Japan. Burns and Nishida instructed Minister Kanehara and PDAS Stephens to work on this. -------------- INDIA CIVIL NUCLEAR INITIATIVE -------------- ¶13. (S) On the India civil nuclear initiative, Burns said the UK, France, Russia, and IAEA all support. Merkel said Germany is divided but in the end would be supportive. Burns gave Nishida a Indian Government paper on the nuclear separation plan as well as recent testimony by the Secretary on the issue and a White House fact sheet on the non-proliferation issues. Nishida said he was glad to hear that momentum on the Hill was swinging towards supporting the deal. Burns said he understood how sensitive this issue is for Japan and promised to provide follow-up briefings or information for the GOJ. Note: SCA A/S Boucher will be in Tokyo for Sri Lanka meetings April 24; this would be a good opportunity to push this initiative with MOFA. -------------- TRILATERAL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE -------------- ¶14. (S) Nishida said Japan is keen to work with the U.S. and Australia in Central Asia and on intelligence cooperation. Burns said he was thinking of traveling to Tokyo the last week of May and would like to hold a TSD meeting if convenient for Nishida (Nishida said he would check his schedule). Burns also offered to host a TSD in Washington a couple of months after the Tokyo meeting. -------------- UNSC REFORM -------------- ¶15. (C) Nishida said this was a high priority for the Prime Minister and that they were waiting for the President's reply to Koizumi's recent letter. Speaking personally, Nishida said hoped the USG would provide constructive comments on an expansion plan; if not Model C, then what could the U.S. live with? Burns promised to get back to him on this. --- G-8 --- ¶16. (C) Burns asked Japan to support German poldir Schaefer's letter to the Russians to discuss sensitive issues such as Belarus, Moldova, and Georgia. Nishida agreed. RICE