TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - GEORGIA

UNCLAS TOKYO 002746 SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - GEORGIA ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Front-page items on Thursday morning included Prime Minister Aso's remarks in the Diet on Wednesday, during which he hinted at the need for an additional supplementary budget. ¶2. "EU Deploys Monitors in Georgia" The liberal Asahi wrote (10/2): "EU monitors began their operations in Georgia on October 1 by entering the Georgian buffer zone, which has been controlled by Russian troops since August. This is the first step of the commitment by the international community to a complete withdrawal of the Russian force. However, Russia has been refusing monitors' entry to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This is the beginning of a clash over Georgian territory... Problems remain for future activities by the EU monitors, as Russia does not allow their access to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The EU, which has not approved the independence of those two regions, is in a confrontation with Russia, as the European monitors plan to operate in the entire Georgian territory... While the EU aims at a complete withdrawal of Russian troops, Russia is trying to 'emasculate' Georgia, which could be the front line of the expansion of NATO... A total of 22 nations are taking part in the monitoring mission. Those nations include Latvia and Poland, which hope that the operation will help contain Russia. Dissatisfaction could spread within the EU, if the monitors remain in the buffer zone." SCHIEFFER