April 30, 2010
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The mayor of Ginowan City, Yoichi Iha, will tell Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama next week that he opposes the government's idea to modify the 2006 Japan-US agreement on relocating the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa.
Hatoyama will visit Okinawa on Tuesday to meet the prefectural governor and city mayors.
Iha is the mayor of the city where Futenma is located.The Prime Minister will explain that his government wants to modify the existing agreement to transfer the functions of Futenma Air Station by building a pile-supported runway in shallow waters of the US Camp Schwab in Nago City.
Iha told reporters on Friday that a plan to build a smaller facility near Camp Schwab has already been examined and rejected.
He says he thinks the idea will not be accepted by people in Okinawa and the rest of the country and in the long run, pressing ahead with such a proposal may make the public deeply distrust the US government.
Iha also indicated that he has accepted a request by the government to help arrange a meeting with residents at a school near the Futenma base.
He says when the Prime Minister meets people and fully understands their strong opposition to the modified plan, the available options for the government may become clearer.
2010/04/30 16:10(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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