ID :
170870
Fri, 03/25/2011 - 19:24
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/170870
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Diet panel postpones voting on host-nation support pact with U.S.
TOKYO, March 25 Kyodo - A Diet panel on Friday postponed voting on a new pact that will enable Tokyo to maintain the annual costs of hosting U.S. bases at the current level of 188.1 billion yen for a five-year period from fiscal 2011 starting April 1.
The major opposition Liberal Democratic Party refused to vote on the Japan-U.S. accord over Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa's absence from the parliamentary session.
The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee will likely vote on the accord next Wednesday, followed by voting at the lower house plenary session on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto sought swift Diet approval of the new pact, as the current treaty will expire next Thursday.
''The U.S. forces have provided great support to Japan following a major quake and we should be grateful for that,'' Matsumoto said at a press conference. ''They are here to defend Japan under the Japan-U.S. security treaty and we expect the pact on host-nation support to be approved as soon as possible.''
The new agreement says the Japanese government will shoulder fewer salaries for Japanese working for the U.S. military and utility costs at U.S. military facilities.
The expenditures gained through such reductions will cover efforts to introduce environmentally friendly technology in U.S. military personnel residences under the ''Green Alliance'' initiative.
Japan began providing host-nation support in fiscal 1978. The total amount peaked in fiscal 1999 at 275.6 billion yen.
But it has since been cut sharply due to Tokyo's fiscal woes and public criticism, particularly about spending Japanese taxpayers' money on entertainment facilities such as bars and golf courses for U.S. military personnel.
The major opposition Liberal Democratic Party refused to vote on the Japan-U.S. accord over Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa's absence from the parliamentary session.
The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee will likely vote on the accord next Wednesday, followed by voting at the lower house plenary session on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto sought swift Diet approval of the new pact, as the current treaty will expire next Thursday.
''The U.S. forces have provided great support to Japan following a major quake and we should be grateful for that,'' Matsumoto said at a press conference. ''They are here to defend Japan under the Japan-U.S. security treaty and we expect the pact on host-nation support to be approved as soon as possible.''
The new agreement says the Japanese government will shoulder fewer salaries for Japanese working for the U.S. military and utility costs at U.S. military facilities.
The expenditures gained through such reductions will cover efforts to introduce environmentally friendly technology in U.S. military personnel residences under the ''Green Alliance'' initiative.
Japan began providing host-nation support in fiscal 1978. The total amount peaked in fiscal 1999 at 275.6 billion yen.
But it has since been cut sharply due to Tokyo's fiscal woes and public criticism, particularly about spending Japanese taxpayers' money on entertainment facilities such as bars and golf courses for U.S. military personnel.
