Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TOKYO449
2008-02-20 08:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

IRANIAN VISITORS TO JAPAN

Tags:  PREL PHUM KNPP UNSC IR IZ AF JA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000449 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM KNPP UNSC IR IZ AF JA
SUBJECT: IRANIAN VISITORS TO JAPAN

TOKYO 00000449 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador J.T. Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000449

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM KNPP UNSC IR IZ AF JA
SUBJECT: IRANIAN VISITORS TO JAPAN

TOKYO 00000449 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador J.T. Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The secretary of Iran's Human Rights
Commission, Mohammad Javad Larijani, visited Japan February
11-18, 2008. He met with a number of officials, including
the Foreign and Justice ministers. Although the purpose of
his visit ostensibly was to discuss human rights issues and a
possible prisoner exchange treaty, he also raised the nuclear
issue, predicting the upcoming IAEA report will declare Iran
did not have a nuclear weapons program even before 2003,
which, when combined with the National Intelligence Estimate
findings, will give Iran a clean bill of health. He also
raised the idea of teaming with Japan to form assistance
partnerships with both Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to
Larijani, the Japanese are also hosting a visit by opposition
party leader and newspaper editor Muhammad Atrianfar. END
SUMMARY.

--------------
MOHAMMAD JAVAD LARIJANI
--------------


2. (C) The secretary of Iran's Human Rights Commission,
Mohammad Javad Larijani, visited Japan February 11-18 on his
initiative, according to MOFA Second Middle East Division
Principal Deputy Director Motosada Matano. He paid courtesy
calls on Minister of Foreign Affairs Koumura and Minister of
Justice Hatoyama, and was the guest of honor at a dinner
hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs
Kenichiro Sasae. Other meetings were held with Deputy
Foreign Minister for Foreign Policy Chikao Kawai, MOFA Middle
Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Director General Norihiro
Okuda, and with Diet member Taro Nakayama, a former foreign
minister with ties to Middle Eastern countries and current
chairman of the Japan-Iran Parliamentary Friendship League.

Human Rights
--------------


3. (C) Matano told Embassy Tokyo Political Officer that the
ostensible purpose of Larijani's visit was to discuss "global
human rights issues" and also to explore the possibility of
negotiating a prisoner exchange treaty. According to Matano,
418 Iranians are incarcerated in Japan, making up roughly ten

percent of the foreign prisoner population. This places the
Iranians third after China (1400 inmates) and Brazil (500
inmates). He said Japan was a popular destination for
Iranians during the 1990's when they had trouble gaining
admission to western countries. Very few ended up staying,
but a number of the "visitors" found themselves in trouble
with the law, mainly for selling drugs and counterfeit
telephone cards in the days before cell phones became
popular.


4. (C) Larijani impressed his Japanese interlocutors, who
found him to be smart, socially at ease, and very engaging,
reported Matano. He admitted that Iran has human rights
issues, but made a convincing argument that serious efforts
are being made to address them and that Tehran is seriously
interested in cooperating with and learning from others.
Matano explained that although Japan is not satisfied with
Iran's record on human rights, Tokyo will remain hesitant to
publicly condemn Tehran because it believes the Iranians are
attempting in good faith to deal with them. In other words,
quiet encouragement and private expressions of concern are
seen as more productive than public criticism.

Nuclear Issue
--------------


5. (C) The nuclear issue was raised by Larijani, who told the
Japanese that Tehran expects the upcoming IAEA report will
state Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program prior to

2003. This, coupled with the NIE's finding that there has
been no nuclear program since 2003, will give Iran a clean
bill of health, and enable it to engage in good faith talks
with others on the future peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Larijani told the Japanese that Iran will accept any proposal
that is mutually agreeable and that it will fulfill its
obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including
accepting the presence of inspectors. He also warned that
efforts to enact another Security Council resolution are

TOKYO 00000449 002.2 OF 002


counterproductive and are hampering the way forward on a
peaceful dialogue.

Iraq - Afghanistan
--------------


6. (C) Larijani also mentioned Iraq, asserting that Iran is
cooperating with the Iraqi people, and suggested that Iran
and Japan could work together with the Iraqis on hospitals
and infrastructure projects. Matano said Japan has no
interest in partnering with Iran on Iraq, but did say that
DFM Sasae is "somewhat interested" in exploring the
possibility of Japanese-Iranian cooperation in Afghanistan,
"if the project is right." For example, explained Matano,
Larijani said Iran has a serious drug problem coming from
Afghanistan and would like to work on projects to foster
tighter border controls. At the same time, Japan is
concerned about helping refugees and displaced persons in the
same border regions. Perhaps there might be an opportunity
for cooperation. Larijani also told the Japanese that Iran
does not want NATO to leave Afghanistan prematurely,
recognizing that such a move would lead to major problems.

UNSC Seat
--------------


7. (C) Both Japan and Iran wish to win the rotating
non-permanent Asia seat on the 2009-2010 Security Council;
however, this subject was avoided by both sides, reported
Matano.

--------------
MOHAMMAD ATRIANFAR
--------------


8. (C) Matano also disclosed that Mohammad Atrianfar is
currently in Japan from February 16 through 21 as a guest of
the Japanese government. Atrianfar is a member of the
opposition Executives of Construction Party and has been the
editor of a number of influential newspapers, including
Hamshahri, Ham-Mihan, and Shargh, where he is the head of the
paper's Policymaking Council. His visit is similar to one of
our International Visitor Programs and is intended to
introduce him to Japanese counterparts and to gain a wider
understanding of Japan. He was selected for the program by
the Japanese Embassy in Tehran, which considers him to be an
influential opposition voice. He is said to be a senior
policy advisor to Hashemi Rafsanjani and has held positions
in earlier Iranian governments, including in the Ministry of
Interior.
SCHIEFFER