Apr 12 10:54 PM US/Eastern
TOKYO, April 13 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Finance Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday he will consider whether it is necessary to look further into developments related to a secret pact struck between Tokyo and Washington over the 1972 reversion of Okinawa, following a recent court order.
"We will first consider whether it is necessary to further investigate and to what extent there may be benefits in doing so," Kan told a news conference.
Last Friday, the Tokyo District Court ordered the state to make more efforts to disclose diplomatic documents in connection with the reversion of Okinawa to Japan from U.S. control.
Following the change of government in Japan last summer, the ministry had tried to track down whether there were Japan-U.S. clandestine deals on the financing of the southernmost island's return. The ministry concluded in March that there was "a secret pact in a broad sense" between the two countries.
But the ministry at that time said it could not find documents in Japan showing the deals, despite months' of investigation.
Kan said Tuesday that the ministry has already conducted an extensive investigation. But he also said that he may order the ministry again to get in touch with its former senior officials from the 1960s and in an attempt to find more clues on the deals.
Posts
