IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER LARIJANI FEBRUARY 23-27

S E C R E T TOKYO 000341 SIPDIS DEPT FOR P - AMB. MULL, NEA/IR, AND EAP/J, NSC FOR DANIEL RUSSEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2020 TAGS: PREL KNNP IR JA SUBJECT: IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER LARIJANI FEBRUARY 23-27 VISIT TO JAPAN REF: TOKYO 30 Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Marc Wall per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 4. ¶2. (S) Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani will visit Japan February 23-27 at the invitation of Diet Lower House Speaker Takahiro Yokomichi. Larijani will be in Tokyo through February 26 before traveling to Nagasaki on February ¶27. MOFA Second Middle East Division Principal Deputy Director Yukiya Hamamoto explained to Embassy Poloff February 22 that the Nagasaki trip would be similar to that of Supreme Council for National Security Secretary General Jalili,s visit to Hiroshima in December (reftel). Hamamoto stressed that the Larijani visit was a Diet initiative and sought to distance MOFA from the visit. ¶3. (S) Larijani will meet with Diet Lower House Speaker Yokomichi and Upper House President Satsuki Eda. A meeting with Foreign Minister Okada has been proposed for February 24 and is likely to be confirmed. A pull-aside with Prime Minister Hatoyama may take place during a reception at the Lower House Speaker,s official residence on the evening of February 24. Hamamoto stressed that the GOJ understands that the U.S. wants Japan to deliver the firm message to Larijani that Iran must cooperate with the international community to address concerns over its nuclear program. Hamamoto said that there is agreement within the GOJ that it will deliver a firm message to Larijani. ¶4. (S) Action Request: If Washington has specific language it would like the Embassy to raise with the GOJ prior to the February 24 Okada-Larijani meeting, please provide by February 24. ROOS