WIREC: JAPAN UNDECIDED, SUGGESTS MINISTER-LEVEL

UNCLAS TOKYO 004883 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES SPECHT AND HILL DEPT FOR EAP/J WEBSTER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ENRG SENV SOCI TRGY KPAO KGHG KSCA JA SUBJECT: WIREC: JAPAN UNDECIDED, SUGGESTS MINISTER-LEVEL INVITATION REF: STATE 138428 ¶1. (SBU) As requested in reftel, Post contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) about GOJ participation at the March 2008 Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008). According to Eriko Hamashiro of MOFA's Economic Security Division, the GOJ is unlikely to decide before January or February on the composition of an official delegation to WIREC 2008. However, she acknowledged the USG's "more aggressive" promotion of the event may prompt the GOJ to send higher level officials to WIREC 2008 than to the last global ministerial-level event on renewable energy in Beijing in 2005. Japan's delegation to the Beijing event did not include ministerial participation and was headed by a Deputy Director General official. ¶2. (SBU) In a later conversation, Hamashiro suggested an invitation from the Secretary to MOFA Minister Komura, indicating that broad ministerial participation is encouraged, would help MOFA facilitate attendance from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI),the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF),and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE). SCHIEFFER