[Reuters, Tokyo, 18th]-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshiyoshi Tsuji starts studying the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces as a Japan-specific initiative to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East and to ensure the safety of ships related to Japan at the afternoon of 18th Then announced.
Regarding the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces, we will not participate in the maritime security initiative proposed by the United States, but will consider the possibility of dispatching ships and utilizing existing pirate countermeasures. The scope of activities is mainly in the Gulf of Oman, the high seas of the northern Arabian Sea, etc.
(Hitoshi Ishida)