Japan: Talks on Futenma move suspended

[unhappycamper]

Japan: Talks on Futenma move suspended
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 5:50:05 EST

TOKYO — Talks on the relocation of a major American military base have been suspended, deepening a deadlock between the United States and Japan, Japanese media reported Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said a high-level working group convened to discuss the move has been suspended and no date for a restart had been set, the Kyodo news agency reported.

“We are now waiting to see whether we should hold the discussions again,” Okada said, without elaborating. A Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment.

The relocation of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, a major U.S. base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, is at the center of a dispute between Tokyo and Washington. Japan and the United States agreed in 2006 to relocate the base to a site farther north. But Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has put the deal on hold and indicated the relocation site could be changed.

The working group involving Okada, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and U.S. Ambassador John Roos was set up in early November. It has met twice. Kyodo said talks on the future of the base made little progress.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_marines_futenma_120809/