April 13, 2010
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa says it will be difficult for Japan to win understanding from the United States to relocate the US Futenma Air Station from Okinawa to the Northern Mariana Islands.
Kitazawa made the remark at an Upper House committee meeting on Tuesday. He was responding to calls from a smaller party in the governing coalition, the Social Democratic Party, to relocate the Futenma base to the Northern Marianas.
Kitazawa said he heard that US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada the replacement for the air base must be sustainable both politically and logistically.Kitazawa pointed out that the Northern Marianas are located some 2,400 kilometers away from Okinawa. He said he believes that, at this point, it will be difficult for Japan to negotiate relocation to the islands with the US side.
2010/04/13 15:41(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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