JAPAN AT FRIENDS OF PAKISTAN GROUP

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002611 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON PK JA SUBJECT: JAPAN AT FRIENDS OF PAKISTAN GROUP REF: STATE 100307 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) The Friends of Pakistan Group is a "high priority" for the government of Japan, and MOFA officials up to the Vice Minister level are "strongly recommending" that the new Japanese Foreign Minister -- to be named on September 24 or 25 -- attend the inaugural meeting on September 26, according to MOFA Southwest Asia Division Principal Deputy Director Aya Yoshida. She cautioned, however, that it is impossible to say whether the Foreign Minister will attend, as the new minister will, of course, have final say, and this won't be possible to ascertain until later this week, when he or she is named. Assuming the foreign minister will follow the recommendations set forth by the ministry, Yoshida and her colleagues are taking steps to prepare for the minister's participation in the meeting. Our strong desire to see Japanese participation at the ministerial level was also conveyed to First North AMERICA Division Principal Deputy Director Yukio Saita. ¶2. (C) British Ambassador David Warren received the same response following a telephone conversation with Deputy Foreign Minister Sasae, according to British Embassy First Secretary Jonathan Aves. Sasae told Warren that the Friends of Pakistan Group is a high priority for Tokyo and that the new foreign minister would strongly be urged to attend the inaugural meeting. SCHIEFFER