Apr 23 07:28 AM US/Eastern
TOKYO, April 23 (AP) - (Kyodo) — A visiting senior U.S. State Department official said Friday that Japan and the United States are "absolutely core partners" in delivering support to conflict-ravaged Afghanistan, and declined to directly comment on the strain in bilateral ties over where to relocate a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa.
U.S. Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel Feldman told a press conference in Tokyo that dealing with Afghanistan is "the most important foreign policy imperative for the White House" and that the perception of Japan in that field is an "extremely positive one."
"I'm happy to say that in my part of the world, it's nothing but positive news in terms of our bilateral relationship with Japan," Feldman said. He declined to directly comment on the stalemate over where to move the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa because he is not in charge of the issue.
He said Japanese assistance and contributions to Afghanistan are "deeply valued by us and the international community."
Tokyo announced last year that it will extend up to $5 billion in civilian aid to Afghanistan over five years. The aid package focuses on providing vocational training for former Taliban insurgents and training for Afghan police officers to ensure security in the country.
Feldman, who was visiting Japan for talks with government officials, said that the need for increasing both the quantity and quality of Afghan national security forces, or the army and police, is "probably the No. 1 priority at this point for the White House."
The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is planning to start withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan in July 2011 with a transition of counterinsurgency operations to local Afghan troops.
The U.S. special representative said the transition process will not begin unless Afghanistan has "adequately trained, well-equipped and credible national security forces." He pointed to the need to raise the literacy rate and salary levels of local security forces.
Japan is barred from sending its troops to Afghanistan in a military capacity due to the nation's pacifist Constitution. Its aid package also includes covering around half of the salaries being paid to 80,000 police officers in Afghanistan.
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