Hatoyama sticks to idea of moving Futemma facility out of Okinawa

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Sept. 25 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Thursday he will not change his
''basic idea'' on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station
facility in Okinawa, suggesting he will still seek to move it out of the
prefecture despite a 2006 bilateral accord.
Speaking to reporters in Pittsburgh, where he is attending a Group of 20
financial summit, however, Hatoyama said he will focus bilateral talks with
U.S. President Barack Obama for the time being on Afghanistan.
''I am aware Afghanistan should come first in light of Japan's relations with
the Obama administration,'' which puts priority on Afghanistan in the
president's diplomatic agenda, he said.
On Wednesday, Hatoyama met face to face with Obama in New York for the first
time since he was sworn in on Sept. 16, and assured the U.S. president that the
Japan-U.S. alliance remains the cornerstone of Tokyo's security policy.
But Hatoyama, on his six-day trip to the United States from Monday, did not
take up his government's plan to reexamine a 2006 Japan-U.S. bilateral accord
stating the Futemma facility be moved from the Okinawa city of Ginowan to a
less densely populated area in Nago, another city of Japan's southernmost
prefecture, by 2014.
On the reconstruction of Afghanistan, Hatoyama has proposed that his government
is ready to offer humanitarian aid to people in the conflict-raged country,
while indicating it may end the ongoing naval refueling mission to support the
U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan.
Hatoyama also told reporters that a public funds injection may be necessary to
help reconstruct struggling Japan Airlines Corp. and that his administration
will come up with a new reconstruction plan.
The new Japanese leader expressed eagerness to attend a general meeting Oct. 2
of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen, at which the host city of
the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be decided.
''I have received strong requests (for my attendance) from people in the sports
industry as well as Tokyo Gov. (Shintaro) Ishihara and started thinking about
visiting Copenhagen if my schedule allows,'' he said. Tokyo, Chicago, Rio de
Janeiro and Madrid are vying to host the event.
On the controversial moratorium on loan repayments for small companies,
Hatoyama said he is looking for a conclusion after his Democratic Party of
Japan examines it with its two coalition partners -- the Social Democratic
Party and the People's New Party.
''Small and midsize companies are the ones that have built the foundation of
Japan's industry and economy,'' he said. ''When the foundation is about to
collapse, I believe we should hammer out some measures.''
Shizuka Kamei, minister in charge of financial and postal services issues, has
said he is considering implementing the moratorium by the end of this year,
noting that small companies should be given a moratorium of about three years
on loan repayments to help them get through a credit crunch.
In New York, Hatoyama delivered speeches at U.N. meetings and held bilateral
talks separately with Obama, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese
President Hu Jintao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.
He is set to return to Tokyo on Saturday.
==Kyodo