1 THE PRESIDENT: This sitting, as was agreed, will be devoted to the submission on

2 behalf of Japan. I now invite His Excellency the Agent for Japan to introduce the

3 representation and indicate the schedule of submissions.

4

5 MR TOGO: Mr President, distinguished Members of the Tribunal. May it please the

6 Tribunal. I feel it a great honour today to be given this opportunity to speak as Agent

7 of the Government of Japan on this important issue concerning the Japanese catch

8 of southern bluefin tuna. It is indeed such a great privilege, such a unique

9 opportunity for me to be able to speak and to explain to you some of the vision and

10 direction which my country has been harbouring and those concrete achievements

11 we have already made in order to realize the important objective of conservation and

12 optimum utilization of southern bluefin tuna.

13

14 But before going into concrete matters, I would like to echo wholeheartedly the

15 statement made by Mr Daryl Williams, that the relationship between Australia and of

16 course New Zealand on the one hand, and Japan on the other, is multifaceted and

17 strong, and precisely because of this strength, our countries will survive

18 disagreements on particular questions such as the conservation of southern bluefin

19 tuna.

20

21 Honourable Judges, it is a great honour to appear before you as the Agent of the

22 Government of Japan. As I have already introduced to you yesterday, I appear with

23 Professor Nisuke Ando, President of the Japanese Association of International Law,

24 and Mr Robert Greig, partner with the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and

25 Hamilton of New York.