NAHA, Japan, Nov. 25 2005 KyodoForeign Minister Taro Aso was unable to win understanding Friday from the governor of Okinawa and the mayor of Nago in the prefecture over a Japan-U.S. agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station within Okinawa.
Aso met with Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine and Nago Mayor Tateo Kishimoto to seek their understanding on the relocation plan, which was included in an interim report compiled at Japan-U.S. top security talks in Washington in October for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
The foreign minister called on the governor for understanding of the plan, saying, ''Japan's safety and security have been built on the premise of the existence of the Japan-U.S. security treaty.''
But Inamine said, ''The relocation plan is not consistent with the prefecture's basic idea. That's unacceptable,'' according to government officials.
Japan and the United States agreed Oct. 29 on a set of realignment plans that include relocating the Futemma Air Station and cutting by 7,000 the number of U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa.
The accord calls for moving the helicopter function of the Futemma base to an airport to be built on the coast along Camp Schwab in Nago.
''We want the central government to compile a final realignment report by taking the local community's position into account,'' Inamine was quoted as telling Aso.
Nago Mayor Kishimoto was quoted as saying the relocation plan is unacceptable because it has ''ignored'' local people's position.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Aso visited the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Schwab in Nago to see the planned relocation site for the main functions of the Marines' Futemma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture.
He said a military airport envisioned under the current relocation plan would be ''easier to build'' than an initial plan to construct an offshore airport near the camp.
But Nago Mayor Kishimoto told Aso the new plan is feared to lead to a noise problem because the relocation site is closer to private homes than the site under the initial plan is.
Speaking before a news conference later Friday, Aso indicated the central government has no intent to revise the Futemma relocation plan in its joint work with the United States toward preparing a final report by next March.
''We should work to get as much understanding as possible from the local community while basically maintaining the current relocation plan,'' Aso said.
The local communities have voiced strong opposition to the plan and criticized the government for ignoring their opinions in concluding the agreement with Washington.
It is Aso's first trip to Okinawa since he took the post of foreign minister in the Cabinet reshuffle on Oct. 31.
Posts
