(98.08.04)FMCT非公式本会議大使ｽﾃｰﾄﾒﾝﾄ

　 [Although this is an informal meeting, seeing as this is the first time for me to take the floor under your presidency, please allow me to congratulate you, Ambassador Maimeskoul, on your assumption of the high post of president of the Conference on Disarmament at this important juncture. I would like to assure you of my delegation's fullest cooperation and support. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our utmost appreciation to Ambassador Sungar of Turkey, the previous President of the CD, for his leadership, dedication and hard work.]

　 I have asked for the floor because, after having heard the statements and interventions by many delegations at the last Plenary meeting and today, it seems appropriate to join them in stressing the importance of working immediately for the commencement of negotiations on a FMCT in the CD. A FMCT will clearly serve as a significant measure for both nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation by capping the production capability of fissile materials for weapons purposes.

　 It should be noted that since the conclusion of CTBT negotiations, the Japanese government has been advocating the early commencement of FMCT negotiations because we believe it should be the next logical and practical step towards our common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, as has been agreed to at the NPT Review and Extension Conference in 1995. In addition, without a FMCT, it would be difficult to move to the next step or stage of nuclear disarmament. Therefore, we have been making concrete efforts to create a positive atmosphere for the commencement of negotiations. One example is the Technical Seminar on a Cut-Off Treaty which I reported to the CD on 28 May in the Plenary Meeting.

　 Starting FMCT negotiations as quickly as possible is extremely important to my government. And we welcome the decision of the Government of Pakistan, as stated by Ambassador Akram, to support the establishment of an Ad-hoc Committee in the current session of the CD on the basis of the Shannon Report and the mandate contained therein. It is important to stress that this agreed mandate is very carefully and skillfully designed, giving delegations free reign to raise any issues in the course of negotiations.

　 It is, therefore, the sincerest hope of my delegation that a consensus in the CD on the establishment of an Ad-hoc Committee in accordance with this mandate will emerge soon, allowing us to start negotiations aiming at the early conclusion of a FMCT. Of course, it will take some time to conclude the Treaty; nevertheless, it is important to establish an Ad-hoc Committee this year and begin preparations for substantive negotiations with a view to concluding the Treaty as soon as possible. After 3 years of stalemate on this issue, this is, I believe, an opportunity that should not be taken for granted.

　 Starting FMCT negotiations is very important and we welcome the position taken by India and Pakistan in this respect as clearly a positive and significant development. However, I am compelled to stress that the FMCT alone is not sufficient to cope with the new situation created by their nuclear testing. Japan, together with other countries, has repeatedly called upon India and Pakistan at every available occasion to take several concrete actions. The most important of these are the unconditional signing and ratification of the CTBT, the improvement of the security environment in South Asia, and finally accession to the NPT. It is highly regrettable that no positive actions or measures have yet been taken concerning these matters. With this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the Japanese government's firm conviction that the build-up of nuclear weapons in South Asia will significantly destabilize the region and, therefore, call upon India and Pakistan to renounce their nuclear weapon programs immediately.

　 Although the Japanese Government believes that a FMCT is an absolutely crucial and inevitable step towards the elimination of nuclear weapon, there are and will continue to be other nuclear disarmament issues that need to be addressed in the CD.

　 In this regard, last year Japan proposed the appointment of a Special Coordinator to identify issues in the field of nuclear disarmament and we remain ready to support any mechanism or measure that leads to this end.

　 Having said that, we also understand that it is not necessarily essential to initiate both exercises simultaneously. Therefore, while strongly expecting the early positive conclusion of the Troika consultations on nuclear disarmament issues, my delegation finds it extremely desirable that CD members agree on the establishment of an Ad-hoc Committee on a FMCT without any conditions.

　 In terms of nuclear disarmament, there has been a positive development outside the CD. Namely, as was explained by Ambassador Soutar when he clarified the UK's role in the movement towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, the UK's recent initiative entitled "Strategic Defense Review" according to which the UK has clearly committed to the global elimination of nuclear weapons. We wholeheartedly welcome and highly appreciate this initiative of the British government and regard it as a very significant decision which will reinforce international efforts on nuclear disarmament. Such actions are consistent with Japan's long-standing, basic policy on nuclear disarmament that concrete and steady nuclear disarmament efforts are indispensable for the realization of a nuclear-free world.

　 My delegation would like to place particular emphasis on the extremely important declaration by the UK on the volume and type of its fissile materials. Transparency is one of the most important elements preceding nuclear disarmament and this move by the UK government has undoubtedly heightened it. We hope and expect that the other nuclear weapon states will follow this unilateral initiative by the UK.