SPECULATION ON METI'S SUMMER ROTATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003172 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. PLEASE PASS TO EAP/J WENDELL ALBRIGHT. PLEASE PASS TO USTR/WENDY CUTLER & MICHAEL BEEMAN. E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2016 TAGS: ECON ENRG ETRD JA SUBJECT: SPECULATION ON METI'S SUMMER ROTATIONS Classified By: DCM Joseph R. Donovan. Reason: 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Hirofumi Katase, director of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) at METI, said that ultimately METI Minister Toshihiro Nikai would have the final say on METI summer staff rotations. Most likely Economic & Industrial Policy Bureau Director General Kitabata would replace Administrative Vice Minister Hideji Sugiyama and Trade Policy Bureau Director General Toshiaki Kitamura would succeed International Affairs Kazumasa Kusaka. The fate of ANRE Director General Nobuyori Kodaira was unknown because tradition dictated that he resign when one of his entering class is promoted to the vice minister position -- Kitabata, Kitamura and Kodaira are all class of 1972 -- but Nikai could ask him to stay on. As for his own situation, Katase said he would like to stay on -- he has been director of his division for four years -- but he had no idea whether he would be able to or where he might go if he were rotated out. The changes will likely be delayed until after the government's so-called "big-boned policy" is issued. The policy had been expected by now but has been delayed two to three weeks. Katase also said the announcement on rotations might be further delayed until after the G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg in mid-July. SCHIEFFER