Address by Yuriko Koike, Special Advisor to the Prime Minster for National Security Affairs, Japan

 

 

 

I. INTRODUCTION

 

I am honored to speak before this distinguished Gulf Dialogue and in particular delighted to return to my familiar region --- the Arab world. In the 1970's, I spent my younger days in Cairo, graduating from the Cairo University with happy memories of enjoying Egyptian anecdotes as well as with sad memories of experiencing tragic events represented by wars and crises. I have made a number of Arab friends from Palestine, Iraq and Kuwait, and above all, a Bahraini classmate called Naheed was my best friend at the Cairo University. Since then, improving the relationship with the Arab world has become my lifetime career.

 

Now, under the new government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formed last September, have been appointed as Japan's first National Security Advisor, responsible for advising the Prime Minister for national security and foreign affairs, including Japan's foreign policy toward the Gulf. The first advice I gave to the Prime Minister was to host ifter at the Kantei, the Prime Minister's Office, during the last month of Ramadan, which he followed two months ago. I am more than happy to work with my good and old friends in the Arab world toward a better relationship by making full use of my experiences in this region.

 

Today, I would like to talk about how significant the partnership between the Gulf and Asia, the East is and how we can cooperate to enhance our security.

 

II. STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE GULF TO THE EAST: FOUR COMMON SECURITY ISSUES

 

It goes without saying that the Gulf has long been and will continue to be strategically important to Asia, the East. The Gulf is a major oil exporter to the East, in particular to Japan; the Gulf is geopolitically important in bridging the West and the East and is a key to the stability of the Middle East. In the same token, the East is important to the Gulf as well. The East is a major oil and gas customer for the Gulf; it is a source of high technology; and it is an emerging partner in trade and investment;

 

This fact demonstrates the critically interdependent relationship between the Gulf and the East. I do agree that regional and international security in a traditional sense and energy security are the major components of our security. But our relationship should be based not only on a) energy security and b) regional/international security, but also on c) economic security and d) climate security. We should enhance cooperation in the energy sector and in our fight against terrorism and proliferation of WMDs. We should also deepen our economic ties, and work together in tackling climate change. With such efforts to cooperate on four common security issues, the Gulf and the East will be able to enjoy a more solid relationship, which will lead to peace and prosperity in both regions.

 

(A) Energy security

 

The first security issue is energy. The GCC countries supply 75% of Japan's oil imports, amounting to 3.2 million barrels per day. If you add Iran and Iraq, the share will rise to almost 90%. Natural gas exports from GCC occupy 23% of Japan's total gas imports, amounting to 12.4 million tons. For GCC, Japan is one of the largest customers of oil, with its share of 27%. No other country in the world is as closely tied to GCC in terms of energy trade.

 

As the energy demand is dramatically increasing in emerging economies, such as China and India, more and more energy resources will be shipped from the Gulf to the East.

 

Safe transport of energy from the Gulf to the East is also critical in ensuring stable energy trade. The so-called "sea lane," the transport route from the Gulf through the Indian Ocean and the Malacca Strait to Japan, is strategically important for energy security of the East. Last week, based on the Regional Cooperation Agreement on combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, the Information Sharing Center headed by Mr. Yoshiaki Ito was established in Singapore, with a view to strengthening the security of transport routes around the Malacca Strait.

 

 

In order to further enhance our energy security, there is more we can do. We can promote producer-consumer dialogue and cooperate in boosting investments in upstream and downstream sectors and safeguarding transport and infrastructure.

 

(B) Regional/international security

 

The second critical security issue is regional and international security. Peace and stability in the Gulf is vital to the East, as it greatly affects the East and international community. Non-proliferation and terrorism is a case in point.

 

a) Non-proliferation: North Korea and Iran

 

First on non-proliferation, we are gravely concerned about North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. The Pyongyang regime has tried to acquire nuclear weapons in defiance of voice and pressure from the international community. In 2003, it announced its intention to withdraw from NPT, expelled IAEA inspectors, and restarted its nuclear reactor and plutonium-reprocessing facilities in Yongbyong. Then this year, in violation of the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six Party Talks, North Korea launched ballistic missiles and conducted a nuclear test.

 

Such reckless acts, which we cannot tolerate, have completely changed the East Asian security situation. The international community swiftly responded to North Korea's provocation by unanimously adopting Security Council resolutions. UN Security Council Resolution 1718 decides that North Korea shall abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes. In resolving the North Korean nuclear problem, China's constructive role is highly expected.

 

The Gulf should not be indifferent to such developments in the East. A nuclear North Korea with ballistic missile capabilities would pose a grave threat not only to Northeast Asia but to the entire international community by nuclear proliferation through possible exports of nuclear devices and related material and technology.

 

The Gulf faces an Iranian nuclear issue as well. Japan has consistently urged Iran to respond to the concern of the international community by suspending all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities including research and development. Since the UN Security Council acted under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter and adopted Resolution 1696, Japan has urged Iran to abide by the resolution. Japan has also strongly supported the efforts of the EU3+3 to seek a peaceful solution.

 

We are not indifferent but gravely concerned over developments in Iran, because the Iranian nuclear issue, coupled with the North Korean nuclear ambition, would not only threaten peace and stability in the world, but also undermine the long-established non-proliferation regime: Many of you here are well aware that Japan has a particularly sensitive and strong feeling against nuclear weapons, as it is the only country against which nuclear bombs have been used: Hiroshima and Nagasaki sixty years ago. Japan expects Iran's prompt and responsible action in response to the international concern.

 

The international community must act together. The Gulf and the East must cooperate to keep peace and security in both regions.

 

 

b) Iraq

 

Iraq constitutes another challenge for regional security in the Gulf. Although the political process in Iraq was completed with the inauguration of the new government this May, the security situation in Iraq is deteriorating, as the Iraq Study Group analyzed. Terrorism cannot be justified for any reason, and we strongly condemn atrocious terrorist acts in the strongest terms. We hope that the ethnic and sectarian groups will respect each other in the process leading up toward nation-building while promoting national reconciliation.

 

It goes without saying that for true peace and prosperity to take root in Iraq, political stability, economic reconstruction, and security must go hand in hand.

 

Japan has been committed to peace-building and reconstruction efforts in Iraq. We continue the airlift support by our Air Self-Defense Force after the successful completion of the mission by our ground forces. Japan has pledged 5 billion dollars of assistance, while canceling 6 billion dollars of debt at the same time. We will continue to stand by Iraq. The constructive role of GCC is also vital.

 

To tackle such regional and international security issues, the East and the Gulf should enhance policy and security dialogue. Japan and GCC have held three rounds of security seminars, inviting government officials and intellectuals on both sides. Recently Japan and GCC agreed to hold regular meetings between their foreign ministers. This Gulf Dialogue has also offered an important opportunity for exchanges between the East and the Gulf.

 

(C) Economic security

 

The East and the Gulf must also enhance economic security, the third security issue. Japan's trade with GCC as a whole amounts to 60 million dollars, which is its fourth largest after the United States, China and South Korea.

 

Last September, Japan started FTA negotiations with GCC, which we are hoping to conclude as early as possible. Japan is also negotiating a bilateral investment treaty with Saudi Arabia and considering such agreements with the UAE and Qatar. I understand that EU, China and India are also negotiating FTA with GCC.

 

We are very pleased to see that our relationship is now evolving from energy cooperation to broader economic cooperation. Closer economic ties will not only benefit both the East and the Gulf, but also contribute to the stability of the region and improve the relationship between us.

 

(D) Climate security

 

The fourth security issue we need to cooperate on is climate security.

 

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, a very close friend of mine since we worked together as environmental ministers, stressed the importance of climate security, saying that "climate security must be at the core of foreign policy." I agree with her argument.

 

Global warming may not seem like a clear and present danger as terrorism and proliferation of WMDs, but it is a creeping threat to the international community. And GCC cannot afford to be indifferent.

 

As Minister of the Environment, I have promoted energy efficiency and energy saving. Japan, a country with almost no energy resources, was most affected in the oil crises in the 1970's. But such experience encouraged Japan to enhance energy security, not only by strengthening ties with oil-producing countries, but also by promoting energy efficiency and energy saving. Now, I am proud that Japan is the most energy-efficient country in the world.

 

Efficient use of energy and energy saving will reduce C02 emissions, which will mitigate climate change. Oil producing countries may be cautious about tackling global warming, but even their oil ministers do admit that efficient use of energy will in the long run benefit oil producers as well. Above all, tackling climate change will prevent economic and social problems that may threaten security of the Gulf, the East, and the entire international community.

 

Japan and the Gulf can and must cooperate more and more in this field.

 

III. STRENGTHENING the KANTEI : TOWARD A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GULF

 

Finally, I would like to share with you new developments in Japan's national security and foreign policy.

 

One of my major tasks as Japan's first national security advisor is to strengthen the roles and functions of the Kantei, the Prime Minister's Office, in the area of national security and foreign policy. In the age of globalization when we face new threats to the international community, such as terrorism and proliferation of WMDs, developing a national security policy that will respond promptly and appropriately to rapid changes in world affairs is an urgent task. It is against this background that the new Abe administration decided to enhance the capacity of the Kantei, the Prime Minister's Office.

 

What would a strengthened Kantei  mean to Japan's policy toward the Gulf? It would mean that we would formulate a more coordinated and coherent policy in a more prompt decision making process. The policy would be more coordinated and consistent in the sense that all the concerns and considerations, including energy security and regional/international security, will be taken into account directly at the Kantei. Policy decision would be made in a more timely manner in the sense that the Kantei will lead national security and foreign policy formulation in a top-down approach. In sha allah!

 

In such a new policy-making architecture, I am sure that Japan will be able to play a more constructive role in this region and strengthen the relationship between the Gulf and the East through cooperation on the four common security issues.