UNGA FOOD SECURITY EVENT: JAPAN'S PARTICIPATION

UNCLAS TOKYO 002113 SIPDIS EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT FOR CLEMENTS AND LURIE C FOR PLOWDEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ETRD EAGR UNGA SUBJECT: UNGA FOOD SECURITY EVENT: JAPAN'S PARTICIPATION REF: STATE 93894 ¶1. Japan does not yet know if it will be able to participate or at what level, since the new Japanese Government will not be in place until September 16. In response to reftel demarche, GOJ officials said there is a strong expectation that Prime Minister-designate Yukio Hatoyama will name Katsuya Okada as Foreign Minister and they will both attend the UNGA, but none of this can be officially confirmed until after September 16. ¶2. ECONOFF met with Principal Deputy Director Masayuki Magoshi and Deputy Director Shunichi Inoue of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs Bureau, Economic Security Division. They said they are aware of the planned event through the embassy in Washington, which has been keeping in close contact with USAID on food security issues. They confirmed food security is an important issue for Japan and that Japan would like to work closely with the United States on food security in the G8 and other multilateral fora. Japan plans to participate in the U.S. and Italy-sponsored technical meeting in Washington on September 14-15. ¶3. Magoshi and Inoue said it would be useful to receiv more information about the September 26 event, e.g., what countries will participate and at what level; how long will the event last; and the type of intervention, if any, that is expected? Ideally, these details would be conveyed during the technical meeting next week in Washington or by USUN. ROOS