日本は何故、反省しないのか？

Financial Times

The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri - Japan; Jul 23, 2001

Koizumi's bridge-building at G-8 fails

Yomiuri

GENOA\xFEC Italy

Making his full-fledged international debut at the Group of Eight summit here, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had hoped to act as a bridge between the United States and European leaders who are split over the issue of the Kyoto Protocol.

However, his hopes were dashed in the face of European doubts about the prime minister's diplomacy, which places top priority on Japan-U.S. ties.

The reference to North Korea in G-8 statements on regional issues was an example of the importance Koizumi places on this relationship. During Wednesday's G-8 foreign ministers meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell backed Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's proposal that North Korea should make constructive efforts on humanitarian issues and impose a moratorium on missile launches. This support was offered despite protests by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov about the inclusion of these points in G-8 statements.

However, the difficulty of trying to coordinate diplomatic initiatives among G-8 leaders while the United States and European nations are at loggerheads over the Kyoto pact was brought home to Koizumi.

Saturday morning, prior to a meeting of G-8 leaders, the prime minister told reporters he was not sure whether he could help span the differences between the U.S. and European sides over the protocol as they are so far apart. "I can only explain Japan's stance," Koizumi said.

The government cannot delay the enforcement of the anti-global warming pact beyond the target year of 2002 because Japan was instrumental in drafting the protocol, which was adopted in Kyoto in 1997.

At the same time, the government feels it cannot allow the enforcement of the protocol without the participation of Japan's main ally -- the United States -- which is also the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide.

Caught in a dilemma, Koizumi worked hard with both sides prior to the G-8 talks in an attempt to avert a breakdown in negotiations between the United States and European nations.

In an effort to woo the United States back to the pact, Koizumi agreed with U.S. President George W. Bush at summit talks last month to set up a ministerial-level forum between the two countries. He also said he would keep in mind the idea of revising the protocol as a viable option.

After his visit to the United States, Koizumi traveled to Britain and France to seek understanding from the two nations on the need to continue efforts to persuade the United States to ratify the protocol.

Immediately after his return to Japan, Koizumi received a call from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder -- a staunch supporter of the Kyoto Protocol -- who said Japan should ratify the accord as soon as possible, even if the United States did not.

At a lunch for G-7 leaders Friday, Koizumi reportedly told Schroeder that efforts to include the United States should continue.

Koizumi also told Schroeder that Japan would seek agreement on as many points as possible over rules required to implement the Kyoto Protocol that were being discussed at the meeting of the sixth Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Conventions on Climate Change, which is being held in Bonn until Friday.

Koizumi and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien agreed on the need to find a compromise between the United States and European nations that will draw the United States back to the Kyoto Protocol.