JAPAN'S PERMREP TO ATTEND UNSC THEMATIC DEBATE; NO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 006910 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 TAGS: PREL UNSC IS JA SUBJECT: JAPAN'S PERMREP TO ATTEND UNSC THEMATIC DEBATE; NO DECISION ON STATEMENT REF: STATE 196223 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve. Reason s: 1.4 (b)(d). ¶1. (C) Embassy Tokyo Political Officer conveyed reftel demarche December 7 to MOFA UN Policy Division Director Shigeki Takizaki. He was aware of the issue concerning level of attendance at the debate and explained MOFA was discussing the matter internally. On December 8, Takizaki responded that because, at this point, only QATAR had decided to send its foreign minister and because FM Aso must be in Tokyo for the conclusion of the current Diet session, Japan has decided that its Permanent Representative Oshima will represent Japan during the thematic debate. 2.(C) On the matter of Japan's support for issuing a statement in association with the thematic debate, Takizaki explained that Japan would not decided until it had seen a draft statement and had participated in the debate on its drafting. He underscored that Japan's position is that any such document must be balanced, and strongly implied that Japan would not support any draft statement that it did not find properly balanced. SCHIEFFER