New Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed Wednesday that the two countries will continue efforts to relocate the Futenma base within Okinawa Prefecture in line with an accord struck in May 2010, the Foreign Ministry said.
Genba also agreed with Clinton over the phone that the two will try to talk on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session in New York later this month, the ministry said.
Sep. 8, 2011
Source: search.japantimes.co.jp
2011-09-22
While Japan's alliance with the United States benefits the stability of the Asia-Pacific region, close ties with China will also be needed if Japan wants to reap the benefits of its neighbor's booming economy, new Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Monday.
During a group interview at the foreign ministry, Genba, who was appointed by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda last Friday, said Japan will abide by a 2006 U.S.-Japan accord on relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma farther north in Okinawa, while working to mollify local residents fiercely opposed to the plan.
In the meantime, ...