GPOI: MOFA TELLS AA/S MULL JAPAN STILL STUDYING

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001680 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO JA SUBJECT: GPOI: MOFA TELLS AA/S MULL JAPAN STILL STUDYING PARTICIPATION Classified By: AMBASSADOR J.T. SCHIEFFER, REASONS 1.4(B),(D). ¶1. (C) Summary. Japan continues to study ways to contribute to the Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative (GPOI),MOFA Foreign Policy Deputy Director General Nagamine told Acting Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs Mull during their April 11 meeting, but must first overcome historical and legal constraints on the role of the Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF) in overseas activities. AA/S Mull praised recent efforts to expand Japan's international role in peacekeeping activities, and encouraged DDG Nagamine to think broadly within the context of existing restrictions on foreign military training, aid for military purposes, and arms exports. End summary. ¶2. (C) MOFA Foreign Policy Bureau Deputy Director General Yasumasa Nagamine assured Acting Assistant Secretary Mull of Japan's commitment to continue exploring opportunities for cooperation in the activities of the Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative (GPOI),during their April 11 meeting. Noting the phenomenal expansion in the U.S.-Japan relationship over the past few years, AA/S Mull praised Japan for the extraordinary contributions of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, contributions that would not have been considered possible ten years ago. ¶3. (C) Noting Japan's more active role in international peacekeeping operations (PKO) over the same period, AA/S Mull welcomed Japan's participation in GPOI in any form, including financial support and the provision of instructors and students. Citing Japan's assistance to provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan, AA/S Mull pointed out that the traditional lines regarding Japan's overseas activities have become blurred by the September 11 attacks and the ensuing war on terror. The same phenomenon is true in the United States, he added, as evidenced by AFRICOM, the new U.S. military command for Africa, which is taking a broader and more integrated approach to dealing with regional problems, including a strong civilian component. ¶4. (C) Japan is prepared to listen to suggestions from the United States and Australia regarding opportunities for GPOI participation at the April 12 Trilateral Security and Defense Cooperation Forum, DDG Nagamine told AA/S Mull. On the civilian side, DDG Nagamine noted, Japan is already conducting joint training for foreign nationals and Japanese civilians on peace building, as called for in a September 2006 speech by Foreign Minister Taro Aso. He cautioned, however, that Japan's participation on the JSDF side needs to be decided within the context of existing historical and legal constraints, which include prohibitions on foreign military training, exporting arms, and providing official development assistance (ODA) funds for military purposes. ¶5. (C) DDG Nagamine agreed that Japan has made great strides in recent years, including the recent dispatch of individual SDF members to Nepal. In the past, SDF has dispatched only unit level components overseas. The police have also overcome their aversion to overseas activities -- rooted in bad experiences in Cambodia in the early 1990s -- and dispatched two police officers to East Timor. Such efforts, in conjunction with the commitment to extend the legislation authorizing SDF operations in the Middle East and Indian Ocean, show the government's determination to expand activities worldwide, he said. DDG Nagamine promised that Japan would continue to explore areas for cooperation on GPOI, but needs to study the issue further. He reminded AA/S Mull that Japan is still waiting for additional information on GPOI's PKO centers in Indonesia and Thailand, requested during December 2006 bilateral discussions in Washington. AA/S Mull pledged to follow-up on the request upon his return to Washington. ¶6. (C) AA/S Mull reiterated U.S. interest in Japan's participation in the Khaan Quest II PKO exercise in Mongolia in August 2007. DDG Nagamine promised that Japan would study the matter further and respond to that invitation in a timely manner. ¶7. (U) AA/S Mull has cleared this message. SCHIEFFER