Ｇ８サミット 日本の存在感低下に歯止めを

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 28, 2010)
Japan must halt decline of diplomatic clout
Ｇ８サミット　日本の存在感低下に歯止めを（6月27日付・読売社説）

The summit meetings of the Group of Eight major powers and the Group of 20 major industrialized and emerging countries are taking place in Canada.
　カナダを舞台に、主要８か国（Ｇ８）と世界２０か国・地域（Ｇ２０）による首脳会議（サミット）が開かれている。

While it is noted that Japan's clout in the international community has been on the decline for several years, Prime Minister Naoto Kan's diplomatic competence is already being put to the test in his first trip abroad as prime minister.
　ここ数年、国際社会における日本の存在感の低下が指摘される中、菅首相は、初外遊で早くも外交手腕が試される。

Addressing the global economy, which is being rocked by Greece's debt crisis, leaders of the G-8 major powers affirmed during their meeting the importance of tackling fiscal reconstruction while securing growth.
　Ｇ８では、ギリシャ危機で揺れる世界経済について、成長を確保しながら、財政再建に取り組む重要性を確認した。

Kan explained and sought understanding for Japan's policy of increasing expenditures in the nursing and medical fields while pursuing economic growth and fiscal soundness.
　菅首相は、介護や医療分野への支出を手厚くし、成長と財政健全化の両立を目指す方針を説明し、理解を求めた。

After returning to Japan, Kan certainly will be pressed to give concrete form to measures, including the consumption tax rate hike, to reconstruct the country's economy and state finances.
　帰国後は、消費税率引き上げを含め、経済と財政の立て直し策の具体化に迫られよう。

The G-8 leaders also agreed Friday to pledge 5 billion dollars over the next five years to aid maternal and child health care in developing countries. Kan announced Japan would offer 500 million dollars in this sector.
　このほかＧ８首脳は、母子保健分野で、５年間に５０億ドルの途上国支援を行うことで合意した。菅首相も５億ドルの拠出を表明した。

Japan possesses various types of know-how in providing medical assistance. The government should conduct finely tuned strategic aid diplomacy.
　日本は、医療援助では様々なノウハウを持つ。メリハリある戦略的な援助外交を展開すべきだ。

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Stability vital to natl interests

In the political arena, the March sinking of a South Korean naval patrol ship was another focus of attention at the G-8.
　政治分野では、韓国哨戒艦の沈没事件が焦点となっている。

Maintaining peace and stability in areas surrounding Japan is directly linked to its national interests. To secure its say at the G-8 summit meetings and shepherd its assertions to reality, it is indispensable that Japan fulfill its role as a major power in the political and economic arenas.
　日本周辺の平和と安定の維持はわが国の国益に直結する。日本がＧ８で発言権を確保し、自らの主張を実現するためには、政治、経済両面で主要国としての役割を果たすことが欠かせない。

However, Japan's position in G-8 diplomacy has been extremely tenuous in recent years. Different prime ministers attended past G-8 summit meetings, with Shinzo Abe participating in 2007, Yasuo Fukuda in 2008 and Taro Aso last year.
　ところが、Ｇ８外交において、日本の立場は近年、極めて不安定だ。２００７年のサミットには安倍、０８年は福田、０９年は麻生と、出席する首相が毎回異なった。

Every time the prime minister changes, the new premier has to rebuild relationships from scratch with his counterparts from each country. While summit diplomacy is becoming increasingly important, there is no way we can expect, under such circumstances, the prime minister to exercise leadership in diplomatic negotiations, such as with Russia over the northern territories dispute.
　首相が交代するたびに、各国首脳との関係を一から築き直さなければならない。首脳外交の重みが増す中、これでは、ロシアとの北方領土問題などの外交交渉で指導力を発揮することは望めない。

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Kan must avoid Hatoyama rut

Kan's diplomatic competence is unknown, although as finance minister, he attended the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations in February.
　菅首相は、財務相として先進７か国財務相・中央銀行総裁会議（Ｇ７）などに出席したものの、外交面の力量は未知数である。

Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama drove Japan-U.S. relations astray with his go-it-alone judgment and immature approach.
　鳩山前首相は、独りよがりの判断と未熟な手法で、日米関係を迷走させてしまった。

Kan said he would try to promote diplomacy based on pragmatism, but he needs to humbly give ear to the advice of his specialists to avoid following the same rut as his predecessor.
　菅首相は、「現実主義を基調とした外交」を心がけるというが、前任者の轍(てつ)を踏まぬように、専門スタッフの助言にも謙虚に耳を傾けることが必要だろう。

A problem besetting Japan's diplomacy is its declining budget for official development assistance, which has been an important card for years.
　日本外交で問題なのは、長年の重要なカードである政府開発援助（ＯＤＡ）予算の減少だ。

The ODA this fiscal year dropped to nearly half the level of its peak in fiscal 1997. From its position at the top of world rankings for total assistance in 2000, Japan has remained in fifth place since 2007. Japan must stop its position from declining by boosting the assistance.
　今年度は、ピークの１９９７年度の半分近くに落ち込んだ。援助実績（支出純額）も、００年の世界１位から下落し、０７年以降は５位にとどまっている。援助額を反転させ、日本の地位の低下に歯止めをかけなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 27, 2010)
（2010年6月27日01時24分 読売新聞）