Have More Trust Into Yourself!

DELO SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT

“HAVE MORE TRUST INTO YOURSELF!”

29 September 2012.

Zorana Baković

When I asked Mr. Toshimitsu Ishigure, Ambassador of Japan, for an interview end of August, my first intention was to speak about the coming 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ljubljana and Tokyo. When His Excellency received me at the Embassy end of last week, there were more topics to discuss and our talk broadened to start with the review on Slovenian-Japanese friendship and concluded with some topical crises .

Zorana Baković: It is my honor and pleasure to be able to discuss with you, Excellency, ahead of the coming 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Slovenia and Japan. Would you be so kind to share with our readers your impressions on Slovenia and relations between our two countries.

Toshimitsu Ishigure: Before I was appointed to Slovenia, I served in Saudi Arabia, surrounded by desert. Now I am very happy to be in green Slovenia.

Well, you are asking about our bilateral relations. They are excellent. In the two decades friendly relations between Japan and Slovenia have developed on various fields, ranging from business cooperation to cultural exchange. Just last week I met His Excellency, Mr. Karl Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister in Minister of Foreign Affairs. We both confirmed this assessment of bilateral relations.

For the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations we established an Executive Committee consisting of prominent persons in our bilateral relations. We have organized and we still will organize different events related to Japan throughout the year to promote Japanese culture among Slovenians and further strengthen friendly relations between our two nations.

Z.B: What is the basic content of bilateral cooperation? Are not the economic relations, which are still relatively modest, quite slowly trailing the political, which you are assessing as excellent? T.I: It is true that trade is not at the level where it should be. In 2011, Japan exported to Slovenia for $ 83.2 million, and Slovenia exported to the Japanese market for $ 55.5 million of goods.

However, I see tremendous potential. Since I came to Ljubljana, I visited over 20 companies in Slovenia. Through these visits I became very impressed with the quality of Slovenian industry, particularly in high- technology and information technology. Japanese companies would still need to find out what you have. In this sense JAPTI (Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments) and my Embassy will jointly organize a seminar on "Investment and business opportunities in Slovenia." It will take place in Dusseldorf, Germany, where over 500 Japanese companies are registered.

In addition, I would like to emphasize the importance of finalization of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between Japan and the EU, which is important for Japan and Slovenia because it will offer a "win-win" situation for both economies. Japan hopes that the EU will agree to start official negotiations on the EPA as soon as possible.

Z.B: But what about investments? Few of them have come from Japan to Slovenia...

T.I: A considerable problem is that the Slovenian labor market is inflexible. In Slovenia, there is still a very favorable treatment of workers. I have heard that many, and not just politicians, but also labor unions in Slovenia, now realize that the situation is serious, and that change is necessary. It is no longer possible to receive what you got before.

The same is, after all, also in Japan. We are raising VAT, we are reforming the pension system, and lowering wages each year. We must accept the fact that something has changed and we can no longer enjoy the favorable situation that we once had. Times are changing, and nothing can remain as it was.

Also Slovenia must accept this. In this sense, foreign investment ... To put it this way: in the history of Japan there also existed reservations to accepting foreign investment. We were even worried because of American capital, and then we changed to the extent that we now welcome also Chinese investments. Z.B: Are there any indications of a larger opening of the Slovenian market for foreign investment?

T.I: Very important are the recent announcement of reforms. And I personally visited many companies and saw great potential, especially in the sector of information technology.

However, I think that Slovenian companies should not insist only on the Balkans as its only market. You have small companies with great potential, and I do not see why you would not go further out, towards Japan, for example.

Z.B: Where is the place for Slovenia in Japanese foreign policy?

T.I: Great potential lies in our cooperation in international fora, including the UN. Japan and Slovenia share common values such as democracy, human rights, rule of law, market economy, and therefore we can work together to set up rules in the international community. Hence, I do not have to point out that Slovenia has an important place in Japanese foreign policy. It stems from the fact that we share the same core values.

Ever since independence, Slovenia has developed very well, both politically and economically. The dedicated work of Slovenia during its EU Presidency in 2008 was rated highly. Slovenia has shown that a country’s contribution to the international community does not depend on its size, but on its committed work. In this sense I call Slovenia an exemplary state.

Z.B: Slovenia is part of the European Union, which bears with it some benefits and pressures, under which is now the majority of member states. How do you see the future of the EU and the euro-zone?

T.I: Today's world is globalized and is no longer a community where only a handful of forces have a decisive effect. All countries, big and small, have to cooperate in efforts to preserve the peace and stability of the world.

Within these efforts, the EU would have to play a vital role as the largest global economy. The future of the EU and the euro-zone will have an immense impact on the whole world. Therefore, we expect that the EU will successfully overcome the current crisis. And in this regard, Japan is willing to contribute its part, as we have at the G-20 Summit in Los Cabos contributed additional $ 60 billion in new loans to the International Monetary Fund.

Z.B: Japan was very struck by the euro-zone crisis. How serious do you think that this crisis affects you?

T.I: The stroke was direct and enormous, because the Japanese and European economies are deeply interdependent. The crisis of the euro-zone has been a factor of stagnation of Japanese exports for quite a while. Europe should as soon as possible strengthen its financial sector and take other measures in order to regain the confidence of global markets. Not a second should be lost.

Z.B: Exactly because you mentioned the deep interdependence of European and Japanese markets, and you warn about the impact of the European crisis in Japan, I have to ask how things are going in the opposite direction. Do not you think the EU should be concerned about the situation in East Asia and the tension around the Senkaku islands?

T.I: Relations between Japan and China have a history of over a thousand years. We are neighbors and sometimes tension occurs. And sometimes we are very good. It all depends on the situation.

As for the Senkaku Islands, it is Japanese territory under international law and historical facts. There are no territorial disputes between Japan and any other party in this regard. And it was only in the second half of 1970s that the topic of East China Sea arose, when the question of gas reserves on the underwater reef in the East China Sea emerged. Then the leaders in Beijing and Taiwan began to pose questions regarding the Senkaku Islands.

We hope that this tension will subside and therefore we approach the situation peacefully, without any excessive reaction, which is sometimes done by neighbors in these situations. In this sense, the Europeans can calmly observe what is happening.

Z.B: But you do not deny that what is going is influencing the economic situation?

T.I: The effects are short-term. But in the long term I hope that the positive trend will be recovered. There are, of course, radical groups who respond to everything excessively, but the majority is normal people, neutral or friendly to the Japanese and Japanese culture. In the long term I do not worry for the Japanese-Chinese relations. They will be brought back to the same level at which they have been for quite some time.

Z.B: On What basis are you so optimistic?

T.I: Based on humanity. Neighbors are still neighbors.

Z.B: Do you think that the EU should become a more active global player?

T.I: Of course it should! It seems to me that at the moment the Europeans are inward directed. They are thinking too much about the domestic, internal matters. How to save the EU and the euro, and Ireland, and Greece, etc. They do not have the strength to turn outside, and that's a pity. As I said, the EU is now the world's largest economic power and therefore would have to think about the outside world.

Z.B: How about the role of the EU as a political entity. Do you see a role for the EU in East Asia?

T.I: Definitely! Building peace in Europe is a fantastic experience. If you consider the Cold War and a very fragile situation in Eastern Europe afterwards, when the countries emerged from the Warsaw Pact and joined NATO, and all this in a peaceful way! And we are still in fear of, say, North Korea, with which we never know what is happening. And so on.

Of course, countries in East Asia have different cultures and different levels of development of democracy. That is the difference compared to you and the reason why we cannot directly apply someone else's experience. But I have tried to introduce the European experience in Asia – for example, the way the Europeans are developing confidence building mechanisms to regulate the relations between them. This is a lesson we need to learn. So I initiated seminars between the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and the ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) in Asia, with the aim to learn from the OSCE's experience.

Z.B: Do you think Japan will become a nuclear power? T.I: No, definitively no! We have unfortunately had a tragic experience with atomic weapons and this feeling weighs heavily on my heart, as it does on all the hearts of the Japanese people. It is sad that neighbouring countries try to frighten each other with these weapons; it is just a waste of time, money and resources. Why not invest these funds in raising the standard of living? Japan has achieved such great progress after World War II because the country concentrated exclusively on the economy.

Z.B: What about nuclear energy? Don’t you think that nuclear power plants are nevertheless necessary?

T.I: I agree with you that at the moment the world cannot function without nuclear energy. If people accepted lowering of their standard of living by 20 to 30 per cent, then we would manage without nuclear energy. But the fact is that 30 per cent of electricity in Japan came from nuclear power plants just before Fukushima disaster. After our experience with Fukushima we must be wiser, but the modern standard of living cannot be preserved if we immediately shut down all reactors.

The issue of nuclear energy has been widely discussed in Japan on a daily basis. Basically, we aim to reduce the dependency of the Japanese on nuclear energy and to transform the energy structure. However, in selecting energy options we must also think about controversial questions like energy security, alternative energy sources, all-out costs needed to address global warming. Our government has just formulated “Innovative strategy for energy and the environment”, which is based on widespread public debate. With this strategy, we attempt to broaden the role of green energy, as well as energy efficiency and renewability.

Z.B: How is the reconstruction of Japan proceeding after last year’s disaster? Is it going as expected?

T.I: First, in the name of the nation of Japan, I would like to express our deepest gratitude for the assistance we were given and compassion expressed by the Slovenian nation immediately after the tragic earthquake and tsunami that claimed over 15 thousand lives, left 3 thousand people missing and 6 thousand injured. Thanks to the selfless help from the international community, reconstruction programmes for the rebirth of Japan are being implemented. Z.B: How does one feel living in Tokyo and other cities in Japan where scientists, with great certainty, expect a new powerful earthquake in the near future?

T.I: Japan is unluckily lucky. Because of frequent natural disasters we regularly control the rivers and the sea, and this has been going on since the time of our ancient emperors. But we the Japanese have accepted the fact that nature is stronger than man. And that is why we always accept everything with patience and move on.

Z.B: When you look at Slovenia, do you think that people here are spoilt by the gentle nature?

T.I: Fortunately, you are not threatened by such disasters as the ones which occasionally affect Japan, but nevertheless you should also be thinking about them. You suffered a great earthquake 100 years ago. Education is of the greatest importance. We teach children in kindergarten and later on all levels of schooling how to react in the event of a disaster and how to prevent large consequences.

Z.B: Returning to the issues of global earthquakes. Would you agree that the balance of economic and political powers is shifting from West to East?

T.I: If you look at history, then there really was a centre of the world in the past. In the 16th century this meant Spain and Portugal, later the Netherlands and the British, and then America. But now we have a situation in which no individual country can control the world. Yes, a shift in the balance of power is certainly occurring, euro is falling, and Asia is moving forward. But it is not just China and Japan in the centre. There are many other countries which are quickly moving forward.

Z.B: Do you believe that the Asian century is coming?

T.I: As I mentioned, no single country can dominate the world. Cooperation is necessary. I do not know if an Asian century is coming in this context, but the influence of Asia is sure to rise. That is highly interesting. Africa is also on the rise, as well as Latin America … Z.B: This means that you believe in globalisation?

T.I: Yes, very much so.

Z.B: But are you worried about European protectionism and an indication that the EU might raise a kind of wall around itself?

T.I: Not at all. Because this cannot be done. The world is already deeply connected and there is no room for protectionism, we depend too much on one another.

Z.B: Returning to the Slovenian-Japanese relations – do we know each other well enough?

T.I: I was fascinated on my visits to many companies in Slovenia. They have the know-how and technologies which they wish to expand further and sell in Japan. But the beginnings often resemble walking. Step by step. Still I am thrilled that 200 Slovenian students are learning Japanese language. That’s capital! In addition to this, the sister city relations between Slovenj Gradec and Myoko in Niagata prefecture have enabled the two towns to carry out high school student exchange programme for ten years already. That is an investment into the future. And when we add that our Japanese ladies marry Slovenian men …

Z.B: When you return to Japan and you tell your friends about Slovenia, what sort of identity will Slovenia assume in your stories?

T.I: I would tell my friends that Slovenians are very… how should I say … shy. Truly shy. In the past they for example produced complete automobiles but now they settle for manufacturing component parts.

I tell my friends in Japan that Slovenia is small, but that no one would expect such high standards of technology. I did not expect that either.

Z.B: How do you see the relations between Slovenia and Japan in another 20 years?

T.I: I have just planted young sakura trees in Goriška Brda and Bled. This is to mark the 20th anniversary and I truly hope to return in 20 years to see how the trees are growing. But I would repeat, those 200 students learning Japanese and the high school students visiting our country thru student exchange, that’s the great capital for our relations.

Z.B: How about EU? How do you see it in 20 years?

T.I: European history is mature; it has democracy, human rights and a free market as its strength. That is the basis of the community which connects the Europeans. I think the EU will move towards greater integration and mobility.

Z.B: How do you see East Asia in 20 years?

T.I: I see an increase in the standard of living. I first went to Beijing in 1974, and I saw people go to construction sites with the tools on their shoulders. I visited China again with my wife 25 years later – and what a change! Asia will develop further.

Z.B: Peacefully?

T.I: Yes, peacefully. As long as the standard of living rises, more people will have the opportunity to be educated, receive knowledge of the world and become smarter. That is my hope. And when people are smarter, they choose peace.

Z.B: What would you say to the Slovenians on the occasion of the anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations?

T.I: I would like to say to Slovenians: be more confident! You are intelligent; emerge from your closed region. Do not just stay in the Balkans. You have high technology, high standard of living, and why not go even further? Do not just settle for what you have, have more faith in yourselves!

Z.B: Your Excellency, thank you very much!