READOUT OF RECENT JAPAN-IRAN BILATERAL MEETINGS

S E C R E T DUBAI 000347

SIPDIS

NEA/IR PLEASE PASS TO EAP/J

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/1/2010
TAGS: PGOV ETRD ETTC IR JA
SUBJECT: READOUT OF RECENT JAPAN-IRAN BILATERAL MEETINGS

REF: IRPO DUBAI 28, IRPO DUBAI 17

CLASSIFIED BY: Ramin Asgard, IRPO Chief, IRPO, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (d)


1. (S/NF) Summary. During an August 25 meeting with IRPO
Director and Poloffs, Japanese MFA Iran Desk Officer Junichi
Sumi gave an informal readout of the most recent encounters
between Japanese and Iranian officials, including regularly
scheduled meetings at the Vice Ministerial and Director General
levels, as well as the unplanned meeting between President
Ahmadinejad and Prime Minister Fukuda on the margins of the June
U.N. food summit in Rome. Sumi explained that Japanese
officials have been using the meetings as opportunities to
encourage the Iranians to accept the incentives package and
"freeze-for-freeze" offer rather than trying to "wait out" the
end of the current U.S. administration. According to Sumi,
Japanese officials are advising the Iranians that many, if not
all, elements of the U.S.'s Iran policy will likely remain in
place even after January. Sumi also observed that Iran's
Ambassador to Tokyo remains well connected to numerous IRIG
officials.

Expanded bilateral meeting schedule


2. (S/NF) Sumi reported that per a March 2008 agreement, the
Japan-Iran Vice-Ministerial Consultation, an initiative begun in
1991, has expanded to include twice-yearly meetings at both the
Vice Ministerial and Director General levels (ref IRPO Dubai
28). The most recent meeting was held in Tehran earlier this
summer between Japanese Director General Suzuki and Nematollah
Ezadi, Director General for East Asia and Oceania. According to
Sumi, "nothing significant" came of this meeting, during which
only bilateral issues were discussed. The next DG-level meeting
is scheduled for October in Tokyo and will focus on human
rights. Sumi said the Japanese will not bring up specific human
rights cases, but will focus on general issues such as the
rights of women and children. Topics for future DG-level
meetings include consular issues and disarmament.

Rome encounter between Ahmadinejad and Fukuda


3. (S/NF) Sumi explained that the June 3 meeting between Prime
Minister Fukuda and President Ahmadinejad at the United Nations
food summit in Rome was requested on the spot by the Iranians.
Sumi, who is a Farsi speaker, said that had the meeting been
scheduled in advance, he would have traveled to Rome to
interpret. Because no translator was available, Sumi said the
fifty minute meeting was consumed mostly by the translation of
pleasantries back and forth via English. Sumi noted this was
the first meeting between the heads of the two governments since
President Khatami and Prime Minister Mori met in 2000.

Iranian Ambassador to Tokyo: Sayyed Abbas Araghchi


4. (S/NF) Sumi observed that Ambassador Araghchi, whose
appointment to Tokyo after being Deputy Foreign Minister was
seen by some Iran analysts as a demotion for not being hardline
enough (ref IRPO Dubai 17 and 28),remains well-connected to
influential people inside the IRIG. Sumi explained that since
Araghchi's arrival in Tokyo in February, he has become a popular
and respected member of the diplomatic circuit. According to
Sumi, the Japanese now believe that Araghchi had a "problem"
with President Ahmadinejad and was sent to Tokyo by Foreign
Minister Mottaki in an effort to "protect" him. Sumi believes
Araghchi remains close to both Ali Larijani, his brother
Mohammad Javad Larijani, as well as senior foreign affairs
advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei, Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati, and
is able to contact all three men directly. (Note: both
Larijanis and Dr. Velayati are all influential "traditional
conservatives.") By way of example, Sumi cited Araghchi's
accurate prediction of the date for the July P5 +1 meeting in
Geneva before it was announced.

Trade between Japan and Iran remains consistent


5. (S/NF) At the end of the meeting, Sumi reviewed recent trade
statistics between Iran and Japan. He noted that while the $14
billion of trade between the two countries in 2007 was slightly
up from the previous year, exports of crude oil from Iran to
Japan accounted for fully 90% of that figure. According to
Sumi, 20% of all Iranian oil exports are sold to Japan. He also
stated that China had overtaken Japan in 2006 as Iran's largest
single trading partner, noting that in 2007 China bought
approximating 15% of Iran's export oil and the Japanese believe
that percentage is on track to increase markedly this year.

ASGARD