Kohei Kobayashi Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH--Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama "won't simply extend" the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean when the law authorizing it expires in January, he said Friday evening in Pittsburgh.
Hatoyama suggested Japan could instead help the Afghanistan by providing humanitarian support such as agricultural and vocational training to Afghans.
The United States and other countries have urged the government to continue the mission helping antiterrorism activities in and around Afghanistan.
Speaking at a press conference after the Group of 20 financial summit meeting, Hatoyama said he would accelerate discussions with Washington over the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, including the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.
"There's not a second to lose on this issue," Hatoyama said. "We'll make a decision based on discussions with the United States and give full consideration to the feelings of the people of Okinawa Prefecture."
The prime minister also remained confident he could fulfill his pledge to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, saying, "It's not impossible if we tap Japan's state-of-the-art technology."
(Sep. 27, 2009)
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