Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO3529
2006-06-26 06:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
"OTHER RUSSIA" NGO EVENT: JAPAN UNDECIDED
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHKO #3529 1770604 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 260604Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3663 INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 1192 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1531 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1103 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 9499 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 4964 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 1963 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003529
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/RUS JOHN ARMSTRONG AND DRL/PHD WENDY SILVERMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI RS JA
SUBJECT: "OTHER RUSSIA" NGO EVENT: JAPAN UNDECIDED
ATTENDANCE
REF: A. STATE 101780
B. 05 TOKYO 6646
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve. Reason
for 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003529
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/RUS JOHN ARMSTRONG AND DRL/PHD WENDY SILVERMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI RS JA
SUBJECT: "OTHER RUSSIA" NGO EVENT: JAPAN UNDECIDED
ATTENDANCE
REF: A. STATE 101780
B. 05 TOKYO 6646
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve. Reason
for 1.4 (b),(d)
1. On June 23, Embassy Tokyo Political Officer delivered
reftel demarche seeking Japan's presence at the July 11-12
"Other Russia" NGO event to MOFA Russia Division Principal
Deputy Director Kazuhiko Nakamura. Nakamura said that Japan
was still considering whether it would send a representative
to the meeting and that Japanese officials were not likely to
make a decision until after the upcoming G8 Foreign
Ministers' meeting.
2. Nakamura recalled that Japan had expressed concern about
the content of the new NGO legislation to Russian officials
when the law was first discussed in the lower house of the
Duma last year. According to Nakamura, President Putin
agreed to reconsider some provisions of the legislation to
accommodate Japan's concerns. MOFA officials felt that "that
had been done to some extent."
3. Nakamura noted that Japan officials were especially
concerned about the status of a Japanese quasi-independent
organization called the "Japan Center," which provides
technical assistance to the Russian government and the
private sector to help with the transition to a market
economy. Japanese and Russian officials established the
center under the terms of a 1994 bilateral treaty. When the
bilateral treaty ended, Japan and Russia agreed to change the
center's legal status to that of an entity fully covered
under Russian law, but also agreed to continue giving the
Japan Center "special treatment." Japan would find it
difficult to maintain funding for the Japan Center if it
"were to be subjected to the same strict regulations as other
NGO's," Nakamura stated.
DONOVAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/RUS JOHN ARMSTRONG AND DRL/PHD WENDY SILVERMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI RS JA
SUBJECT: "OTHER RUSSIA" NGO EVENT: JAPAN UNDECIDED
ATTENDANCE
REF: A. STATE 101780
B. 05 TOKYO 6646
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve. Reason
for 1.4 (b),(d)
1. On June 23, Embassy Tokyo Political Officer delivered
reftel demarche seeking Japan's presence at the July 11-12
"Other Russia" NGO event to MOFA Russia Division Principal
Deputy Director Kazuhiko Nakamura. Nakamura said that Japan
was still considering whether it would send a representative
to the meeting and that Japanese officials were not likely to
make a decision until after the upcoming G8 Foreign
Ministers' meeting.
2. Nakamura recalled that Japan had expressed concern about
the content of the new NGO legislation to Russian officials
when the law was first discussed in the lower house of the
Duma last year. According to Nakamura, President Putin
agreed to reconsider some provisions of the legislation to
accommodate Japan's concerns. MOFA officials felt that "that
had been done to some extent."
3. Nakamura noted that Japan officials were especially
concerned about the status of a Japanese quasi-independent
organization called the "Japan Center," which provides
technical assistance to the Russian government and the
private sector to help with the transition to a market
economy. Japanese and Russian officials established the
center under the terms of a 1994 bilateral treaty. When the
bilateral treaty ended, Japan and Russia agreed to change the
center's legal status to that of an entity fully covered
under Russian law, but also agreed to continue giving the
Japan Center "special treatment." Japan would find it
difficult to maintain funding for the Japan Center if it
"were to be subjected to the same strict regulations as other
NGO's," Nakamura stated.
DONOVAN