GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER STEINMEIER TALKS UNSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001040

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2021
TAGS: PREL KS IR UNSC GM ENRG ETTC JA
SUBJECT: GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER STEINMEIER TALKS UNSC
REFORM, IRAN, ROK, AND EAST ASIAN SECURITY WITH GOJ

OFFICIALS

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Carol T. Reynolds for Reasons
1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) Summary. During his February 20-22 visit to Tokyo,
German FM Steinmeier and his Japanese interlocutors agreed to
continuing working toward UNSC reform within the G4
framework, with Steinmeier acknowledging that U.S. supports
is also important. FM Aso stressed the potentially volatile
East Asian security environment and urged that the EU
maintain its arms embargo on China. On Iran, the two sides
agreed to explore ways to cooperate more closely. End
Summary.


2. (C) German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had
"very good" discussions with Prime Minister Koizumi and
Foreign Minister Aso during his February 20-22 visit to
Tokyo, according to MOFA Central and Eastern Europe Division
Principal Deputy Director Tatusya Machida. Steinmeier also
met with Japanese business leaders, Machida told us February

23. During a February 21 courtesy call, PM Koizumi focused
on current German politics -- a rather "unlikely theme."
Koizumi's main interest was how the rival Christian
Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SDP)
would be able to stay together past the next regional
elections.

UN Reform


3. (C) In UNSC reform, PM Koizumi expressed his hope that
Germany and Japan, as two of the G4 partners, would continue
to work together toward a proposal that has the support of
the United States, Machida reported. Even though the Germans
had supported the original proposal that Brazil and India --
the other two G4 members -- had submitted to the General
Assembly, FM Steinmeier agreed that gaining the support of
2/3rds of the General Assembly, and the support of the United
States is important. His government, he went on, would
re-think its strategy. In closing, PM Koizumi asked the
German Foreign Minister to extend an invitation for
Chancellor Merkel to visit Japan.


4. (C) FM Steinmeier continued his discussion on UN reform
with Foreign Minister Aso, Machida noted. Both Foreign
Ministers agreed to continue to work on UNSC issues within
the G4 framework. Steinmeier added that while they do not
yet see eye-to-eye on UNSC issues, the two countries are
like-minded on broader UN reform initiatives like the Human
Rights and Peace Building Commissions.

Iran


5. (C) Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki's February 27-March
1 visit to Tokyo would be a good opportunity to exchange
views on a number of issues, including Iran's nuclear
program, FM Aso told Steinmeier, according to Machida. Aso
reaffirmed his government's firm opposition to Iran's nuclear
program. Germany, Steinmeier replied, also is concerned
about Iran under President Ahmadinejad, whom FM Steinmeier
believes stifles the dialogue and religious freedom that
Iranians enjoyed marginally under former President Khatami.
While concerned that the EU3 now has little leverage, the
German Foreign Minister stressed that Germany will continue
to work with its partners to press Iran to end its nuclear
enrichment program. Both foreign ministers agreed to explore
ways to cooperate more closely on Iran-related issues, in
much the same manner they cooperate in Iraq and Afghanistan,
Machida related.

East Asian Security; China Arms Embargo


6. (C) FM Aso underscored to his German counterpart that the
Cold War has not yet ended in East Asia, Machida stated.
North Korea is still ruled by a dictator, he said, and
tensions across the Taiwan Strait and other China-related
issues make the region potentially volatile. For this reason
it is important that the EU not lift its arms embargo on
China, Aso stressed. FM Steinmeier responded that the CDU
and SDP parties had agreed prior to forming the grand
coalition that the German Government would not take its own
initiative on this issue, but follow the EU's lead. At
present, FM Steinmeier added, there is no EU initiative to
lift the arms embargo. In a separate February 23
conversation, German Embassy Political Counselor Martin Ebert
told us that Chancellor Merkel's East German background and
her personal reaction to the 1989 Tiananmen incident make her
wary of the Beijing regime. Even if the EU should lift the
embargo, which did not believe would happen in the near term,


Germany would not sell arms to China, because its arms export
controls are among the strictest in the world, he asserted.
Germany will assume the EU presidency in the January 2007, he
noted, and has not intention of lifting the embargo.

Japan-ROK Relations


7. (C) Having just come from talks in Seoul, FM Steinmeier
inquired about the current state of Japan-ROK relations. In
what Machida jokingly characterized as "personal remarks" by
FM Aso, the Japanese Foreign Minister said relations between
Japan and Korea are the "most friendly they have been in the
past six years." FM Aso based his remarks on two
observations: First, in the last six years the exchange of
visitors between the two countries has increased from 10,000
people per year to 10,000 people per day (sic),he asserted.
Second, a large number of young Koreans now enjoy Japanese
pop music; and many Japanese people enjoy Korean movies.

Japan-Germany Business Cooperation


8. (C) Accompanied by members of the German business
community, Steinmeier was pleased that the "German Year in
Japan" initiative, which Machida described as a German
government initiative to familiarize Japanese audiences with
its culture, had gone so well. Since April, 2005, the
Germans have held over 1,500 events in Japan. FM Aso, too,
expressed hope that the Germany-Japan relationship would
continue to strengthen. Both agreed that their two countries
face the same challenges in the near future, specifically
noting the aging societies, questions about innovation, and
structural reform. On structural reform, the Japanese
Foreign Minister welcomed the Japan-Germany Center in Berlin,
expressing optimism that it would inaugurate a new dialogue
on structural reform, and assist business people to that end.
SCHIEFFER