July 24, 2010
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A US official is urging Japan to continue paying for the upkeep of US bases in the country, saying it's an investment in the alliance and security.
Japan now pays costs including utilities, and the wages of Japanese civilians working on bases.
Japan and the United States have been discussing what Japan calls "the kindness budget" over the past two days, ahead of the expiry of the special agreement in March.US Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro says they made progress at the talks, and that Japan should continue to pay its share toward maintaining regional peace.
Japan is requesting that the nearly 300 million dollars it pays for utilities be reduced through energy-saving measures. Shapiro welcomed the proposal, saying introducing environmentally-friendly technology could slash expenses. He says discussions on how to reduce costs at the US bases will continue.
2010/07/24 09:01(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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