JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER COUNSELS IRANIANS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 004396

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP UNSC IR JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER COUNSELS IRANIANS TO
COOPERATE


Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4(b),(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Japan has made it clear that it will
stand with the international community on the issue of
Iranian nuclear proliferation even if it means risking
commercial repercussions. In an August 2 meeting with
Iranian Vice President Esfandior Rahim Mashay, Foreign
Minister Aso counseled that Iran needs to reestablish its
credibility with the international community and would be
well-advised to fully comply with the provisions of UNSCR

1696. Aso told Mashay that while Japan recognizes Iran's
right to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes, the
fact that the IAEA has lost faith in Iran's credibility is
something that needs to be remedied. A planned meeting next
week in Tokyo at the Deputy Foreign Ministerial level has
been canceled by Tehran, citing "rising tensions in the
Middle East." END SUMMARY.

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JAPAN REITERATES SUPPORT FOR UNSCR 1696
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2. (U) Following the adoption of UNSCR 1696, MOFA
immediately issued a statement fully supporting the
resolution and calling on Iran to accept the comprehensive
proposals presented by the EU-3, to fulfill the requirements
of the resolution, and to return to the negotiation process.
In addition, in statements to the press, both Foreign
Minister Aso and Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe reiterated that
Japan will stand with the international community on the
issue of Iranian nuclear proliferation even if to do so risks
negative ramifications to Japan's energy and economic
interests. "The nuclear issue has priority," said Foreign
Minister Aso.

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FOREIGN MINISTER ADVISES IRAN TO COOPERATE
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3. (C) During an August 3 meeting with Embassy Tokyo
Political Officer, Takashi Kamada, Chief of the Iran Unit in
MOFA's Second Middle East Division, provided a read-out of
Foreign Minister Aso's August 2 meeting with visiting Iranian
Vice President Mashay. Kamada began by pointing out that
Mashay is only one of a number of Iranian Vice Presidents and
that he is responsible for cultural and tourism affairs, not
nuclear or political issues. He was not in Tokyo at the
invitation of MOFA; rather, he was here to inaugurate a
museum exhibition of Persian art. Despite the fact that Aso
had met the previous week with Iranian Foreign Minister
Mottaki in Kuala Lumpur, the Japanese agreed to Mashay's
request for an Aso courtesy call, believing that such a
meeting would provide another opportunity for Tokyo to urge
the Iranians to cooperate more fully with the international
community.


4. (C) Mashay began by recalling how during the Iran-Iraq
war the West had supported Saddam Hussein. Then following
the war, the international community led by the West tried to
limit Iran's progress as its people worked to reconstruct the
country. He maintained that Iran has the right to develop
nuclear power for peaceful purposes and that this belief is
widely shared by all Iranians. Aso replied that Japan
understands that Iran has the right to develop nuclear power
for peaceful purposes. However, the problem is that the IAEA
has lost confidence in Iran and is unable to trust Tehran's
entreaties that its nuclear program is intended only for
peaceful purposes. Iran must remedy this lack of confidence
and cannot hope to solve the problem if it continues to view
itself only as a victim. Iran must change its views.


5. (C) Iran, Mashay retorted, is stressing two principles
in regard to this dispute. First, every country has the
right to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
Second, Iran has always been opposed to the spread of weapons
of mass destruction. Iran has accepted the presence of IAEA
inspectors on its territory and has provided them with
information. It is now time for the West to engage in
confidence building measures with Iran. With regard to the
P5 plus One proposal, it is very complex and Iran is studying
it carefully. It is not fair for the West to insist on an
answer before Iran can fully study all of its ramifications.
Aso replied that he believes EU High Representative Javier
Solana's position on this dispute is very close to Iran's,
but even he complains that Iran's attitude toward the
proposal is unreasonable. Aso speculated that perhaps there
is a failure in communications and asked Mashay if the
Iranians have been providing updates about their
deliberations to Solana or others in order to assure the
international community that they are seriously considering
it. Mashay said there had been no such exchanges.

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6. (C) Aso concluded the meeting by reminding Mashay that
60 years ago Japan had been defeated following a major war
and therefore knows very well what it's like to be isolated
from the rest of the international community. Iran would be
well-advised to make a better effort to build confidence and
trust with the rest of the world, he stated.

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IRANIANS CANCEL MEETING
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7. (C) Kamada told us that he had been working to prepare
for a Japan-Iran Deputy Foreign Ministerial-level meeting the
following week in Tokyo, but that Tehran had advised MOFA
early on August 3 that the Iranians would not be able to
attend due to "rising tensions in the Middle East."


8. (C) COMMENT: Kamada thought the cancellation had nothing
to do with the outcome of the Aso - Mashay meeting. In our
view, however, in light of Aso's meetings with Mashay and
with FM Mottaki, and of Japan's firm public support of UNSCR
1696, Iran's leaders may believe there is no point in
discussing this matter further with the Japanese.

SCHIEFFER