THE AMBASSADOR'S OCTOBER 15 PHONE CALL WITH PRIME

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002392 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR JA SUBJECT: THE AMBASSADOR'S OCTOBER 15 PHONE CALL WITH PRIME MINISTER HATOYAMA Classified By: Ambassador John V. Roos per reason 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a 15-minute phone call with the Ambassador, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama discussed his September meetings with the President on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit, the Secretary of Defense's upcoming October 20-21 visit to Japan, and the President's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. End Summary. ¶2. (C) During his meetings with President Obama during UNGA in New York and again at the Pittsburgh Summit, Hatoyama said he and the President had been able to establish a relationship based on trust. For example, Hatoyama mentioned a casual conversation between himself and the President about a pancake breakfast that Hatoyama had attended, citing this exchange as representative of the friendly atmosphere and easy rapport that he had developed with the President. ¶3. (C) Hatoyama said the Summit meetings had been very productive and fruitful, and noted the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance. He told the Ambassador that he looked forward to further strengthening the bilateral relationship and building constructive, forward-looking U.S.-Japan ties. He thanked the Ambassador for his role in preparing for these bilateral meetings. The Ambassador said he was pleased that the discussions with the President had been positive and said that the President was looking forward to his November visit to Japan. ¶4. (C) Turning to Secretary of Defense Gates' October 20-21 visit to Japan, Hatoyama said that Foreign Minister Okada and other GOJ officials would meet with Secretary Gates. He believed the two sides should discuss the way forward for the U.S.-Japan Alliance, with a particular focus on two issues -- possible Japanese contributions to efforts in Afghanistan and Futenma relocation. He added that it was very important that both sides be candid in exchanging opinions on these topics. The Ambassador expressed understanding that Hatoyama's government was working on a number of challenging issues and said he stood ready to assist. ¶5. (C) Hatoyama voiced his appreciation for the Ambassador's offer, saying that the President had referred to the Ambassador as a "good and close friend" (Note: Speaking in Japanese, Hatoyama used the word "Shinyu" that expresses a very close friendship.) in whom he had full trust and who would contribute to bilateral relations. Hatoyama said Japan was pleased that the President had sent to Japan a person for whom he has such high regard. ¶6. Finally, Hatoyama congratulated the President for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, noting that the President's vision of a world without nuclear weapons, set forth in his April speech in Prague, had been a source of great encouragement for which both the Prime Minister and Japan were grateful. ROOS