April 15, 2010Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Thursday that the government's agreement with both the United States and local officials in Japan was a prerequisite for finalizing a decision on the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma by the end of May.
Speaking to reporters outside his official residence, Hatoyama was asked, "Does settlement of the issue by the end of May mean the announcement of the sole plan in which an agreement has been reached with both the United States and local bodies?" to which Hatoyama replied: "Yes. A settlement is a settlement, so that's right."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, meanwhile, obscured the definition of "settlement," telling a news conference that the conditions for reaching a settlement would be filled once concrete negotiations on a relocation site for the air station had begun.
Hatoyama added that "settlement" referred to a situation in which the parties involved agreed that they would move in a particular direction. He said he had sought cooperation from U.S. President Barack Obama on the issue.
"I want to create such a situation by all means, and I asked President Obama for cooperation in this area," he said.
Referring to Hatoyama's comments, Hirano said, "It means we will receive understanding from the United States and local officials, and then we will proceed to a situation in which we can make a concrete decision." At the same time, he added: "It would be difficult to secure complete understanding and agreement on all points by the end of May," suggesting that final negotiations could continue past May. It is believed that Hirano's obscuring of the definition of a settlement was made as a precaution in case an agreement is not reached by the end of May.
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) April 15, 2010
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