JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER MAY VISIT IRAQ IN APRIL;

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000622 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/I - JDAVIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV JA IZ SUBJECT: JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER MAY VISIT IRAQ IN APRIL; COALITION SUPPORT ACTIVITIES UNCERTAIN CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR RYAN C. CROCKER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY. IN A SHORT MARCH 1 MEETING, JAPANESE PAGE 02 RUEHGBA0622 C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000622 AMBASSADOR KENJIRO MONJI TOLD AMBASSADOR CROCKER THAT IF JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER KOMURA ATTENDS THE APRIL 22 KUWAIT NEIGHBORS MINISTERIAL, MONJI WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE HIM TO VISIT BAGHDAD. SPEAKING IN AN UNOFFICIAL CAPACITY, MONJI WAS DOWNBEAT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF JAPANS KUWAIT-BASED COALITION SUPPORT ACTIVITIES. MONJI ALSO DETAILED GOJ PLANS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORQQ IRAQ'S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT/STATUS OF FORCES (SFA/SOFA) TEAM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C/NF) IN A MARCH 1 MEETING, JAPANESE AMBASSADOR KENJIRO MONJI TOLD AMBASSADOR CROCKER THAT THE IRAQI EMBASSY IN JAPAN HAS INVITED JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER MASAHIKO KOMURA TO VISIT BAGHDAD WHILE HE IS IN THE REGION FOR THE APRIL 22 KUWAIT EXPANDED NEIGHBORS MINISTERIAL. AMBASSADOR MONJI CAUTIONED THAT FOREIGN MINISTER KOMURA MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE MINISTERIAL BECAUSE OF JAPANESE PARLIAMENTARY IMPERATIVES, BUT THAT IF HE DOES, MONJI WILL ENCOURAGE HIM TO ADD AN IRAQ LEG TO HIS TRIP. AMBASSADOR CROCKER WELCOMED THE NEWS AND ADDED EMBASSY BAGHDAD STOOD READY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AS REQUIRED. MONJI ASKED THAT WE KEEP THIS INFORMATION CLOSE PAGE 03 RUEHGBA0622 C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000622 HOLD. ¶3. (C/NF) AMBASSADOR MONJI MENTIONED THAT JAPANS KUWAIT-BASED COALITION LOGISTICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED A UNITED NATIONS SECURITY RESOLUTION TO CONTINUE, WHICH MADE THEIR POST-2008 FATE UNCERTAIN. HE ADDED THAT DOMESTIC ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR JAPAN'S COALITION SUPPORT MISSION LIKELY WOULD NOT BE RENEWED BY THE JAPANESE DIET, BUT EMPHASIZED THAT HE WAS PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION IN A PRIVATE CAPACITY BECAUSE THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT YET OFFICIALLY SETTLED ON ITS POST-UNSCR POSTURE. ¶4. (C/NF) AMBASSADOR MONJI SAID THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING WITH UNAMI, PRIME MINISTER MALIKI'S OFFICE AND THE IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTRY TO PROVIDE CAPACITY SUPPORT TO IRAQ'S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT/STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT (SFA/SOFA) TEAM AND IS CONSIDERING FLYING A FOUR-MEMBER IRAQI TEAM TO JAPAN MARCH 17-31 FOR TRAINING. AMBASSADOR CROCKER PUSHED BACK, NOTING THAT THE TIMING WOULD DISRUPT SFA/SOFA PAGE 04 RUEHGBA0622 C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000622 NEGOTIATION MOMENTUM. AMBASSADOR MONJI ALSO SUGGESTED (AND STRESSED HE WOULD STRICTLY OBSERVE CONFIDENTIALITY NORMS) THAT BECAUSE OF HIS BACKGROUND (HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE JAPANESE SOFA INTERAGENCY) HE MIGHT PERSONALLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE IRAQI TEAM. THE GOJ ALSO PLANS TO HOST 15 KEY GOI AND COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS FOR A MARCH 20-26 RECONCILIATION SEMINAR IN TOKYO. (NOTE: POST PROVIDED LIST TO NEA/I VIA E-MAIL. END NOTE.) CROCKER