ID :
124492
Thu, 05/27/2010 - 00:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/124492
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Japan, U.S. agree to work closely to resolve base issue+
WASHINGTON, May 26 Kyodo -
Japan and the United States agreed Tuesday to keep working closely to resolve
the issue of relocating a key U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture, though
Washington noted there are important issues that need to be settled, the
visiting Japanese defense minister said.
Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert
Gates also reaffirmed cooperation among Tokyo, Washington and Seoul in dealing
with the recent fatal torpedo attack on a South Korean warship that has been
blamed on North Korea, Kitazawa told reporters.
''With regard to the relocation of Futenma (Air Station), we agreed that Japan
and the United States will continue efforts to resolve the issue,'' he said as
Tokyo and Washington are making final arrangements to issue a joint statement
on the issue later this week.
Gates told the Japanese minister in the 40-minute meeting that although
important problems remain unsolved, he welcomes progress in bilateral
negotiations on the matter up to now, Kitazawa said.
''We have a major goal of resolving the issue of returning the Futenma facility
(to Japan). We have now a foundation for moving toward the goal,''
Kitazawa said.
After months of dispute over reviewing a 2006 bilateral accord which would
relocate the Futenma base within the prefecture, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama unveiled Sunday a plan to relocate it within Okinawa instead of
outside the prefecture, disappointing and enraging Okinawa people.
But the Social Democratic Party, a member of Hatoyama's tripartite ruling
coalition, remains opposed to the plan, and Japan and the United States are
still at odds over the Japanese idea to modify the method for building
Futenma's replacement facility due to environmental concerns.
Kitazawa and Gates exchanged views on some issues regarding the relocation of
the Futenma facility during their talks, a Japanese official said, declining to
elaborate.
The Pentagon also only confirmed that the two defense chiefs raised the issue
of the replacement facility for the Futenma base and implementation of the
bilateral agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
As for North Korea, they agreed on the recognition that it is important for
Japan, South Korea and the United States to hold defense ministerial talks in
Singapore in June in an attempt to prevent further provocative acts by North
Korea, the Japanese defense minister said.
The defense chiefs of the three countries held a trilateral meeting on the
sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in late May 2009.
Tensions are rising on the Korean Peninsula following the announcement by South
Korea earlier this month that North Korea is to blame for the sinking of the
warship in the Yellow Sea near the western sea border with North Korea on March
26, which killed 46 sailors.
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak said Monday that his country will refer
the sinking of the warship to the United Nations and will ban passage by North
Korean ships through South Korean waters.
Seoul also said it will suspend effectively all trade with North Korea, a step
believed likely to deal a severe blow to the country.
In response, North Korea announced Tuesday that it will sever all relations
with South Korea. Pyongyang has denied its involvement in the alleged torpedo
attack on the South Korean ship.
Among other issues, Kitazawa and Gates agreed to continue to cooperate and to
monitor Chinese actions near southern Japanese waters, the Pentagon said.
Kitazawa said he has told Gates that he hopes Japan and the United States will
cooperate in information analysis in connection with what Tokyo sees as
provocative activities by the Chinese navy near Japan's southernmost island of
Okinotori.
Kitazawa said the Chinese naval actions, including the approach by a Chinese
helicopter near a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer, could trigger
accidents between the two countries.
The defense secretary, meanwhile, thanked Kitazawa for Tokyo's support on
sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions and asked for Japan's
continued cooperation on the matter at the United Nations, the Pentagon said.
They also agreed to explore additional ways to strengthen and deepen the
Japan-U.S. alliance this year on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of a key
revision to the bilateral security pact, through more exchanges and intensified
dialogues, it said.
Kitazawa and Gates last held talks in Tokyo in October. Kitazawa is scheduled
to return to Japan on Thursday.
==Kyodo
2010-05-26 23:36:03