Diplomatic Issues in Focus
North Korea
Japan and North Korea (*1) had repeatedly suspended and resumed normalization talks since the first negotiations in 1991, haggling for years over the issues of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea (*2) and Japan's responsibility for problems resulting from its colonization of the Korean Peninsula up unto the end of World War II. To break the diplomatic impasse, Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a historic visit to Pyongyang on September 17, 2002 to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the first summit ever held between the two countries.
Japan's plan, however, crumbled as North Korea admitted on the very day the two leaders signed the Pyongyang Declaration (*3) that eight Japanese abductees had already died. Moreover, US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly's visit to North Korea in October 2002 led to the revelation that Pyongyang is continuing research into developing nuclear weapons, making reopening of normalization talks even more difficult.
To help resolve the major issues, Japan maintains close coordination and cooperation with the US, the Republic of Korea, China, and Russia. Delegates of North Korea and the five countries gathered in Beijing in August 2003 to discuss ways to resolve issues concerning North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and possible conditions. Through dialogue at the six-party talks and on other occasions, Japan is strongly urging North Korea to dismantle all its nuclear development programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as it poses a serious security threat to all its East Asian neighbors. Japan also continues to make utmost efforts towards totally resolving the abduction issue at the earliest possible date.
In October 2002, five Japanese who had been kidnapped 24 years before by North Korean agents returned to Japan for the first time since they were snatched away from their homeland. The emotional return of five abductees has gripped the nation since the moment they touched down on Japanese soil, but there are issues which remain unresolved. The five abductees have not been able to have their families allowed to come to Japan, while there is little information on other missing Japanese who are suspected to have been kidnapped by North Korean agents as well.

Iraq
Participating in the reconstruction of Iraq, after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, is one of the most important issues confronting Japan, as it relies on the Middle East region for nearly 90% of its crude oil supply. There is also a concern that if Iraq should become a "failed state" as well as a hotbed for terrorist activities, it would be a great threat not only to the Middle East but also to Japan and the international community.
The government in December 2003 made a landmark decision to send the Self -Defense Forces (SDF) troop to Iraq as a part of coordinated efforts with the US in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. The decision followed the tragic death of two Japanese diplomats in November 2003, who had been killed in an apparent terrorist attack near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit in Iraq.
In addition, Japan is also preparing to provide financial assistance totaling $1.5 billion, giving priority to assistance related to the revitalization of basic living conditions of the Iraqi people, including power generation, education, water and sanitation, health, and employment, as well as those related to the improvement of the security situation in Iraq.(*4) Japan also considers forgiving the majority of its Iraqi debt, in accordance with other creditor nations.(*5)

Anti-terrorism and Non-Proliferation of WMD
The terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001, had a momentous impact on the international community, raising strong awareness that terrorism poses a grave threat to the peace and stability of the entire international community. Despite concerted efforts to root out terrorism by many governments, terrorism is on the rise around the world and is becoming more indiscriminate, as was seen in the terrorist attacks against the UN Headquarters and the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Iraq as well as against the Consulate-General of the United Kingdom in Istanbul in 2003.
In order to contain terrorist activities, Japan continues to be involved in the fight against terrorism of its own initiative in accordance with the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law, which was enacted in October 2001, while making efforts in gathering and analyzing terrorist-related information in cooperation with the countries concerned. Furthermore, in order to bolster the prevention of illegal immigration, the government plans to introduce passports that use authentication technology to verify the passport holder based on biometric identifiers from fiscal year 2005.
At the same time, Japan is calling on various countries, especially in Asia, to accede to the disarmament- and non-proliferation-related treaties (*6), including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) (*7), and to fully implement the obligations under these treaties. Japan also endeavors to strengthen international frameworks to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

United Nations
United Nations (UN)-centered diplomacy has been a cornerstone of Japan's foreign policy. To date, however, Japan's influence within the UN has been unduly slight considering the fact that about 19.5 percent of the UN budget comes from Japan, the second largest contributor after the US.
With the goal of obtaining greater influence and responsibility within the UN, Japan has been calling for a drastic reform of the UN Security Council. In September 2003, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi made a speech at a UN General Assembly session, in which she reiterated Japan's 10-year-old position on the urgent need to reform the Security Council as many countries voice serious concerns about the body's inability to present a united front over the war in Iraq as well as other controversial issues in the past.
The debate on reform of the Security Council began in 1993 with a resolution tabled by the UN General Assembly. Japan proposed expanding membership of the Security Council from 15 countries to 24, with permanent seats for 10 countries, including Japan itself. It is still unclear how Japan's efforts to gain a permanent seat on the Security Council will progress, or how permanent members would exercise their right of veto, as UN members have clashed over which countries would be granted permanent status. For the time being, Japan is aiming to win a seat in the election of non-permanent membership of the Security Council in 2004.