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DE RUEHKO #2937 1460914
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O 260914Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2584
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2495
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C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002937 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2026 
TAGS: PREL UNSC BR GM IN CH JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN PRESSING FOR A MEETING WITH THE U.S. ON UNSC 
REFORM 
 
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer.  Reasons:1.4 (b/d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Japan hopes to receive a response to the 
proposal on UN Security Council reform that Foreign Minister 
Aso passed to Secretary Rice during their May 2 meeting prior 
to the June 29 Summit, according to MOFA UN Policy Division 
Director Shigeki Takizaki.  In addition, Japan "needs" a 
meeting between U/S Burns and either Deputy Foreign Minister 
Nishida or DVFM Kohno "anywhere in the world" prior to the 
Bush-Koizumi Summit to discuss the proposal in detail, 
Takizaki asserts.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) During a May 24 meeting with Poloff, MOFA UN Policy 
Division Director Shigeki Takizaki briefly described the 
proposal for UNSC expansion that Foreign Minister Aso passed 
to Secretary Rice during their May 2 meeting.  This proposal, 
"Option D," consists of two stages, he explained, with Stage 
One calling for a maximum of two new permanent members, each 
of whom would require support from two-thirds of members 
states.  One or both new seats could remain vacant if no 
candidate received the required two-thirds' vote.  Stage One 
also allows for four new nonpermanent members, with one 
allotted to each of the four geographic regions.  In Stage 
Two, the new arrangement would be reviewed after ten or 15 
years and, if found appropriate, two more permanent members 
could be added.  Takizaki explained that the new proposal was 
initiated by "one of the other G-4 members," whom he declined 
to identify.  The proposal has been shared with very few 
other countries and with few officials within the Japanese 
government, he noted. 
 
¶3. (C) Japan, Takizaki continued, has no guarantee that it 
would be one of the two new permanent members under the new 
proposal but is willing to "take that risk" in order to 
accommodate U.S. concerns.  Before moving forward, however, 
Japan needs assurance that the United States would not 
interfere or oppose the proposal.  Japan is still waiting to 
hear back on the paper that FM Aso gave the Secretary.  Japan 
"definitely needs" a meeting between U/S Burns and either DFM 
Nishida or DVFM Kohno "anywhere in the world" prior to the 
June 29 Summit to discuss the proposal in detail, Takizaki 
asserted. 
 
¶4. (C) Asked how he thought China would respond to "Option 
D," Takizaki suggested that China "might be okay with it." 
(Note: Takizaki revealed that Japan and China would be 
holding Director General-level talks on UN reform-related 
issues later in the summer.  They held the last such talks in 
December 2005.)  More important than support from China or 
the African Union, he stressed, was a "go sign" from the 
United States. 
 
¶5. (C) Comment:  Obtaining a permanent UNSC seat continues to 
be a high priority for some MOFA officials.  We expect them 
to use every opportunity to elicit U.S. support for a 
concrete proposal acceptable to two-thirds of UNGA members 
SCHIEFFER