Saturday, December 20, 2008

DPJ Leaders and National Security Figures from US Democratic Party Hold Talks with an Eye on Administration Transitions


2008.12.20 08:29

民主党の菅直人代表代行、鳩山由紀夫幹事長ら同党幹部は19日、都内のホテルで米民主党の国防関係者らと会談した。 Acting leader Naoto Kan of the Democratic Party, Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the 19 leaders of the party, the Democratic Party at a hotel in Tokyo for talks with defense officials said. 来年1月20日のオバマ米次期政権の正式発足と日本での政権交代を見据え、両国の民主党が親交を深めるとともに、今後の日米関係の方向性などついて意見交換するのが狙いだったという。 Obama's January 20, next year, the U.S. official launch of the next government and a bigger change of government in Japan, the two countries to deepen friendship with the Democratic Party, the future direction of the US-Japan relations and exchange views with the aim was to .

会談には米側から、ジョセフ・ナイ元国務次官補、マイケル・グリーン元国家安全保障会議(NSC)日本・朝鮮担当部長、ジョン・J・ハムレ元米国防副長官、ジョン・ケリー上院議員らが出席した。 From the U.S. side to the talks, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Nye, Michael Green, former National Security Council (NSC) director of the Korean Japanese, John J Hamre former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, said Sen. John Kerry Attended the meeting. 日本側は岡田克也、前原誠司両副代表、岩國哲人国際局長らも同席し、オバマ政権発足後の米国の国防戦略についても協議した。 Japan, Katsuya Okada, the deputy leader Seiji Maehara, head Tetsundo Iwakuni their international presence, and Obama in the U.S. administration talks about defense strategy.

この日の会談について鳩山氏は記者会見で「米国の民主党と日本の民主党でお互いに交流を深めることが大事ではないかという貴重な示唆を具体的にいただいた」と説明した。 For this day's meeting with Hatoyama told a news conference "The United States and the Democratic Party of the Democratic Party of Japan to deepen exchanges is important that the valuable suggestions received concrete," he said. そのうえで「アフガニスタン政策について意見交換を申し上げ、オバマ次期大統領がどのように考えているかということの概略のお話をいただいた」と語った。 "We would exchange views on policy in Afghanistan, which Obama as the next president is considering whether to accept the outline of the story," he said.

Google translation: http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en#

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/politics/situation/081220/stt0812200831003-n1.htm

NOTE: The hardcopy of Yomiuri in Japan lists U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly as the fourth member of the delegation, not Senator John Kerry. Without Kerry, who was reported in the media to be a leading candidates for Secretary of State in the Obama administration, a direct link to the new Obama administration appears more tenuous.