June 28, 2010
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The US government has expressed appreciation for the summit between President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. It says it believes the talks will help restore bilateral relations that became strained under the former administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
Doubts grew within the US government over whether the previous Hatoyama government fully understood the importance of the bilateral alliance. This was touched off by Hatoyama's call after taking office last September for a review of a plan to relocate the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. The agreement had been agreed to by the 2 governments in 2006.
The sinking of a South Korean warship in March allegedly by North Korea, along with China's continued military build-up, fueled further concerns within the US government over the stability of the Asia-Pacific region.After their first meeting on Sunday, Obama described his talks with Kan as excellent. He said they exchanged views on a broad range of topics including economic and security issues during the G8 and G20 summits. Obama said he highly appreciated Kan's stance of placing importance on the bilateral alliance.
Obama also expressed hope for Japan's role as an alliance partner. He said he and Kan shared common understanding on the importance of bilateral cooperation over Iran's nuclear program and bringing stability to Afghanistan.
The US government intends to settle the Futenma issue and wants to mend the strained relations and further strengthen bilateral ties.
2010/06/28 13:46(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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