ID :
166134
Sun, 03/06/2011 - 17:57
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https://www.oananews.org//node/166134
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Maehara's exit could have repercussions on Japan's foreign policy
TOKYO, March 6 Kyodo - Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's resignation announcement just six months after assuming his post could have a major impact on Japan's foreign policy, especially the country's relations with its closest ally the United States, with a number of diplomatic events scheduled in the months ahead.
The exit of Maehara, known for his strong pro-U.S. stance, could also affect Prime Minister Naoto Kan's hopes of issuing a bilateral statement on deepening the alliance during his trip to the United States in late June.
The Group of Eight major powers have scheduled a meeting of foreign ministers March 14-15. The change in Japan's foreign minister could undermine confidence in the country's foreign policy.
Ahead of the multilateral meeting, arrangements were also being made for the Japanese foreign minister to visit Egypt on March 12 and London the following day.
Maehara has said that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policies. Since assuming the post of foreign minister in September, he had made a total of four trips to the United States by January and appeared to have strengthened his friendship with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
He developed personal connections with U.S. administration officials and legislators over the years before the Democratic Party of Japan took power in September 2009.
In the Cabinet of Kan's predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, Maehara used his connections to repair ties with Washington that had become strained over the issue of relocating a U.S. Marines Corps base from a crowded residential area in Okinawa Prefecture.
But he faced challenges in dealing with China and Russia. Tokyo's relations with Beijing deteriorated following collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels in waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands.
Japan has been hoping to resume political dialogue with China at a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting including South Korea scheduled in Kyoto from March 19. Japan may have to rewrite its strategy if it has to replace its foreign minister. A trilateral summit is also being arranged in Tokyo in late May.
Russia, meanwhile, has shown signs of hardening its stance over a territorial dispute with Japan since the sudden visit of President Dmitry Medvedev to an island claimed by Japan.
Sources close to Japan-Russian relations say the Russians have become increasingly disenchanted with the idea of holding negotiations with Japan after seeing a succession of top leaders such as prime ministers and foreign ministers in the past several years.
The resignation of Maehara, who just visited Russia last month, could further reinforce its disenchantment.
His decision to resign was reported immediately by the Itar-Tass news agency. The agency said he was known for tough statements on the territorial dispute, touching on Maehara's past remark that Russia had ''illegally occupied'' the Northern Territories of Japan.
Maehara, however, was given some credit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who reportedly said he had a good impression of Maehara when they met in Moscow on Feb. 11. Lavrov noted Maehara's expression of interest in improving Russian-Japan ties when they met in November in Japan on the sidelines of an international meeting.
The exit of Maehara, known for his strong pro-U.S. stance, could also affect Prime Minister Naoto Kan's hopes of issuing a bilateral statement on deepening the alliance during his trip to the United States in late June.
The Group of Eight major powers have scheduled a meeting of foreign ministers March 14-15. The change in Japan's foreign minister could undermine confidence in the country's foreign policy.
Ahead of the multilateral meeting, arrangements were also being made for the Japanese foreign minister to visit Egypt on March 12 and London the following day.
Maehara has said that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policies. Since assuming the post of foreign minister in September, he had made a total of four trips to the United States by January and appeared to have strengthened his friendship with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
He developed personal connections with U.S. administration officials and legislators over the years before the Democratic Party of Japan took power in September 2009.
In the Cabinet of Kan's predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, Maehara used his connections to repair ties with Washington that had become strained over the issue of relocating a U.S. Marines Corps base from a crowded residential area in Okinawa Prefecture.
But he faced challenges in dealing with China and Russia. Tokyo's relations with Beijing deteriorated following collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels in waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands.
Japan has been hoping to resume political dialogue with China at a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting including South Korea scheduled in Kyoto from March 19. Japan may have to rewrite its strategy if it has to replace its foreign minister. A trilateral summit is also being arranged in Tokyo in late May.
Russia, meanwhile, has shown signs of hardening its stance over a territorial dispute with Japan since the sudden visit of President Dmitry Medvedev to an island claimed by Japan.
Sources close to Japan-Russian relations say the Russians have become increasingly disenchanted with the idea of holding negotiations with Japan after seeing a succession of top leaders such as prime ministers and foreign ministers in the past several years.
The resignation of Maehara, who just visited Russia last month, could further reinforce its disenchantment.
His decision to resign was reported immediately by the Itar-Tass news agency. The agency said he was known for tough statements on the territorial dispute, touching on Maehara's past remark that Russia had ''illegally occupied'' the Northern Territories of Japan.
Maehara, however, was given some credit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who reportedly said he had a good impression of Maehara when they met in Moscow on Feb. 11. Lavrov noted Maehara's expression of interest in improving Russian-Japan ties when they met in November in Japan on the sidelines of an international meeting.
