April 2, 2010
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Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has briefed Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on his talks with US officials on where to relocate a US Marine air station in Okinawa, southern Japan.
Okada met Hatoyama at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Friday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano also attended the meeting.
On Monday, Okada met US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Washington and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Gatineau, Canada.
Okada explained the Japanese government's efforts to find alternatives to the plan to relocate the US Futenma Marine Corps Air Station within Okinawa. The United States and Japan's previous government agreed to the plan in 2006.During a news conference of Group of 8 foreign ministers in Gatineau, Clinton said the US government still holds the opinion that the original plan is preferable. But she added that the US will listen to the Japanese government's views and continue the discussions if Japan makes new proposals.
At Friday's meeting, Hatoyama confirmed with Okada and Hirano that they will aim for settling the relocation issue by the end of May through close coordination among Cabinet Ministers.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hirano said he and other Cabinet Ministers may meet later on Friday to discuss the matter. He heads a panel of the government and ruling parties that is supposed to come up with a conclusion on the relocation issue by the end of May.
2010/04/02 12:59(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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