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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000449 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KNPP UNSC IR IZ AF JA
SUBJECT: IRANIAN VISITORS TO JAPAN 
 
TOKYO 00000449  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador J.T. Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C)  SUMMARY: The secretary of Iran's Human Rights 
Commission, Mohammad Javad Larijani, visited Japan February 
11-18, 2008.  He met with a number of officials, including 
the Foreign and Justice ministers.  Although the purpose of 
his visit ostensibly was to discuss human rights issues and a 
possible prisoner exchange treaty, he also raised the nuclear 
issue, predicting the upcoming IAEA report will declare Iran 
did not have a nuclear weapons program even before 2003, 
which, when combined with the National Intelligence Estimate 
findings, will give Iran a clean bill of health.  He also 
raised the idea of teaming with Japan to form assistance 
partnerships with both Iraq and Afghanistan.  In addition to 
Larijani, the Japanese are also hosting a visit by opposition 
party leader and newspaper editor Muhammad Atrianfar.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
----------------------- 
MOHAMMAD JAVAD LARIJANI 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The secretary of Iran's Human Rights Commission, 
Mohammad Javad Larijani, visited Japan February 11-18 on his 
initiative, according to MOFA Second Middle East Division 
Principal Deputy Director Motosada Matano.  He paid courtesy 
calls on Minister of Foreign Affairs Koumura and Minister of 
Justice Hatoyama, and was the guest of honor at a dinner 
hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs 
Kenichiro Sasae.  Other meetings were held with Deputy 
Foreign Minister for Foreign Policy Chikao Kawai, MOFA Middle 
Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Director General Norihiro 
Okuda, and with Diet member Taro Nakayama, a former foreign 
minister with ties to Middle Eastern countries and current 
chairman of the Japan-Iran Parliamentary Friendship League. 
 
Human Rights 
------------ 
 
¶3. (C) Matano told Embassy Tokyo Political Officer that the 
ostensible purpose of Larijani's visit was to discuss "global 
human rights issues" and also to explore the possibility of 
negotiating a prisoner exchange treaty.  According to Matano, 
418 Iranians are incarcerated in Japan, making up roughly ten 
percent of the foreign prisoner population.  This places the 
Iranians third after China (1400 inmates) and Brazil (500 
inmates).  He said Japan was a popular destination for 
Iranians during the 1990's when they had trouble gaining 
admission to western countries.  Very few ended up staying, 
but a number of the "visitors" found themselves in trouble 
with the law, mainly for selling drugs and counterfeit 
telephone cards in the days before cell phones became 
popular. 
 
¶4. (C) Larijani impressed his Japanese interlocutors, who 
found him to be smart, socially at ease, and very engaging, 
reported Matano.  He admitted that Iran has human rights 
issues, but made a convincing argument that serious efforts 
are being made to address them and that Tehran is seriously 
interested in cooperating with and learning from others. 
Matano explained that although Japan is not satisfied with 
Iran's record on human rights, Tokyo will remain hesitant to 
publicly condemn Tehran because it believes the Iranians are 
attempting in good faith to deal with them.  In other words, 
quiet encouragement and private expressions of concern are 
seen as more productive than public criticism. 
 
Nuclear Issue 
------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The nuclear issue was raised by Larijani, who told the 
Japanese that Tehran expects the upcoming IAEA report will 
state Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program prior to 
¶2003.  This, coupled with the NIE's finding that there has 
been no nuclear program since 2003, will give Iran a clean 
bill of health, and enable it to engage in good faith talks 
with others on the future peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 
Larijani told the Japanese that Iran will accept any proposal 
that is mutually agreeable and that it will fulfill its 
obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including 
accepting the presence of inspectors.  He also warned that 
efforts to enact another Security Council resolution are 
 
TOKYO 00000449  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
counterproductive and are hampering the way forward on a 
peaceful dialogue. 
 
Iraq - Afghanistan 
------------------ 
 
¶6. (C) Larijani also mentioned Iraq, asserting that Iran is 
cooperating with the Iraqi people, and suggested that Iran 
and Japan could work together with the Iraqis on hospitals 
and infrastructure projects.  Matano said Japan has no 
interest in partnering with Iran on Iraq, but did say that 
DFM Sasae is "somewhat interested" in exploring the 
possibility of Japanese-Iranian cooperation in Afghanistan, 
"if the project is right." For example, explained Matano, 
Larijani said Iran has a serious drug problem coming from 
Afghanistan and would like to work on projects to foster 
tighter border controls.  At the same time, Japan is 
concerned about helping refugees and displaced persons in the 
same border regions.  Perhaps there might be an opportunity 
for cooperation.  Larijani also told the Japanese that Iran 
does not want NATO to leave Afghanistan prematurely, 
recognizing that such a move would lead to major problems. 
 
UNSC Seat 
--------- 
 
¶7. (C) Both Japan and Iran wish to win the rotating 
non-permanent Asia seat on the 2009-2010 Security Council; 
however, this subject was avoided by both sides, reported 
Matano. 
 
------------------ 
MOHAMMAD ATRIANFAR 
------------------ 
 
¶8. (C) Matano also disclosed that Mohammad Atrianfar is 
currently in Japan from February 16 through 21 as a guest of 
the Japanese government.  Atrianfar is a member of the 
opposition Executives of Construction Party and has been the 
editor of a number of influential newspapers, including 
Hamshahri, Ham-Mihan, and Shargh, where he is the head of the 
paper's Policymaking Council.  His visit is similar to one of 
our International Visitor Programs and is intended to 
introduce him to Japanese counterparts and to gain a wider 
understanding of Japan.  He was selected for the program by 
the Japanese Embassy in Tehran, which considers him to be an 
influential opposition voice.  He is said to be a senior 
policy advisor to Hashemi Rafsanjani and has held positions 
in earlier Iranian governments, including in the Ministry of 
Interior. 
SCHIEFFER