SCA A/S BOUCHER'S MAY 30 MEETING WITH MOFA ASIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002990

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2011
TAGS: PREL PTER PARM IN AF NP CE IR JA
SUBJECT: SCA A/S BOUCHER'S MAY 30 MEETING WITH MOFA ASIAN
AFFAIRS BUREAU DG SASAE

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for Reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary: In a May 30 meeting with visiting SCA A/S
Boucher, MOFA Asian Affairs Bureau DG Sasae stated:

-- Japan is committed to nation building in Sri Lanka;

-- MOFA is carefully explaining to the public and the Diet
Japan's interests in supporting the India nuclear initiative;

-- Japan is prepared to expand its economic assistance to
Nepal; and

-- Japan wants to increase cooperation with the United States
on Central Asia.

End Summary.

Sri Lanka
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2. (C) During a May 30 meeting with MOFA Asian Affairs
Bureau DG Kenichiro Sasae, SCA A/S Richard Boucher reviewed
the Sri Lanka co-chairs meeting discussion that occurred
earlier that day. The Co-Chairs will urge the Government of
Sri Lanka to be more specific on its peace proposals and
press the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to abandon
terrorism, he said. Moreover, the United States will work
with concerned governments to cut off the LTTE's sources of
funding and weapons. DG Sasae observed that Japan is
committed to nation building in Sri Lanka, including offering
programs designed to provide incentives to the Tamil Tigers
to end the violence. (Note: Detailed reporting on the
Co-Chairs Meeting is being reported septel. End Note.)

India
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3. (C) Noting India's growing importance to the United
States, A/S Boucher stated that the civil nuclear cooperation
initiative is a sign of the expansion of India's relations
with the United States and of India's changing relations with
the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other countries. He
underscored that the nuclear agreement is strategically
important for the international community and urged Japan to
look at the agreement from a strategic viewpoint, rather than
as a strictly nonproliferation matter. The United States has
spoken with both India and Pakistan and there is no incentive
or interest in beginning an arms race, he asserted.


4. (C) Observing that Japan was gearing up its engagement
with India through increased official visits and military
exchanges, DG Sasae noted there was a balance within MOFA
between bureaus such as the Asian Affairs Bureau that want to
expand cooperation with India and bureaus that are concerned
about nuclear nonproliferation matters. He stressed the
importance of carefully designing a process of informing the
public and explaining to the Diet why Japan should support
full civil nuclear commerce with India. Japan had to keep in
mind the implications of the nuclear initiative for
Japan-China relations, as well as the fact that the PRC is
able to purchase nuclear technology. At the end of the day,
DG Sasae concluded, Japan knows that it must recognize
India's increased importance in the international community.

Afghanistan
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5. (C) A/S Boucher thanked DG Sasae for Japan's
contributions to coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including
refueling, pledges of economic assistance, and road building.
It is important to the United States that Japan remain
involved, he stated. Noting that the United States had
offered Japan suggestions on how the Ring Road might be
completed, A/S Boucher stressed the importance of road
building to general economic development as well as to
drawing the population away from the illicit economy and the

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terrorists.

Nepal
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6. (C) Asked about the possibility of concluding an
agreement between the Maoists and the political parties, A/S
Boucher noted the importance of keeping the political parties
united and acting decisively. Economic assistance programs
now need to move forward, particularly those with immediate
impact, he stated. DG Sasae said that Japan had maintained
its humanitarian programs in Nepal through the past few
difficult years and was now ready to expand its assistance
into other areas. He underscored the need to integrate the
Maoists into the political, social and economic mainstream.
A/S Boucher concurred, stating that the Maoists would have a
place in society as long as they stopped their violence and
were prepared to participate peacefully in the political
process. It is important that the political parties and the
international community were clear on that point, he averred.

Central Asia
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7. (C) DG Sasae asked U.S. views of the June 15 Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. A/S Boucher related
that the United States had told SCO members: 1) the
organization should not repeat its 2005 involvement in
political matters, but should concentrate its efforts on
coordinating border, security and economic issues; and 2) the
SCO should not provide a forum to enable Iranian President
Ahmadinejad to make controversial remarks. DG Sasae said
that Japan wondered why the Iranian president had been
invited to attend the SCO meeting when Russia had asserted to
Japan that the SCO was not prepared to deal with the Iranian
nuclear issue. He and A/S Boucher agreed to increase the
U.S.-Japan coordination on issues in the Central Asian region.
SCHIEFFER