LEAD: Japan, U.S. to set up defense coordination mechanism
apan and the United States agreed Monday to set up a defense coordination mechanism to cope with ”instability and uncertainty” in the Asia-Pacific region.
Agreed at the so-called ”two-plus-two” meeting of defense and foreign ministers, the mechanism calls for establishing four joint groups to coordinate operations in dealing with armed attacks on Japan or emergencies in unspecified ”areas surrounding Japan.”
Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and Defense Agency Director General Kazuo Torashima from Japan, and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Defense Secretary William Cohen from the U.S. also said they agreed to take steps to curb environmental hazards caused by the U.S. military in Japan.
The two sides signed a new five-year accord, effectively through March 31, 2006, on Japan’s host-nation financial support for U.S. military facilities, making official an earlier announced accord to trim Tokyo’s annual 180 billion yen in obligations by some 3.3 billion yen a year.
In a joint statement, they noted for the first time that the Japanese side ”took up issues regarding the return and relocation” of the U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station in Okinawa, alluding to a request from Okinawa to impose a 15-year limit on military use of a planned facility to host the helicopter operations of the base.
The statement did not give Washington’s position on the issue.
Both Kono and Torashima made reference to Okinawa’s request during the meeting, a Japanese official said, noting the two sides also agreed to resume meetings of a joint expert-level ”Futemma Implementation Group” to discuss construction methods and other details of the proposed heliport facility in Nago, Okinawa.
Cohen, speaking at a joint press conference after the two-hour meeting, said the two sides agreed to consult with each other in line with the ‘’security situation in a given time.”
Cohen, who has said he is opposed to making ”any artificial deadline,” did not respond on the 15-year issue at the news conference.
The ministers issued four statements after the meeting — the joint statement plus three documents detailing the coordination mechanism, the environment accord and the new host-nation agreement.
In the joint statement, the two sides said ”instability and uncertainty persist” in the Asia-Pacific region but expressed hope for further easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula following the historic inter-Korean summit in June.
The two sides ”reaffirmed the vital role the U.S.-Japan security alliance plays in preserving the peace and stability of the region,” the joint statement said.
The ministers also reconfirmed the need to continue policy coordination among Japan, South Korea and the U.S. which they said is of ”vital importance” for enhancing the prospects of positive developments on the Korean peninsula.
Speaking at the press conference, Albright said, ”We are committed to exploring ways to encourage North Korea’s emergence from its long period of isolation, while addressing concerns of the international community about its nuclear and long-range missile programs.”
The four ministers invited China to play ”a positive and construction role” in the Asia-Pacific region, saying it is ”extremely important” for the stability and prosperity of the region.
The statement reaffirms U.S and Japanese commitments to continue joint technical research on a theater missile defense (TMD) system, aimed at protecting U.S. troops and its allies in Asia from missile attacks.
At the press conference, Torashima said North Korea is still believed to have deployed Rodong ballistic missiles capable of striking all of Japan.
Kono said Japan has yet to confirm Pyongyang’s real intention over its recently reported offer to abandon missile development should other nations help it launch space satellites.
According to the documents, the four defense coordination groups will involve two high-level committees of directors general of related ministries and agencies to oversee a working-level task force and a coordination post between the U.S. military and Japan’s Self-Defense Force.
The mechanism completes the operational preparations by the two nations to implement the 1997 defense cooperation guidelines under which Japan is committed to provide logistical support to the U.S. military in case of emergencies in ”areas surrounding Japan.”
The environment measures feature establishing a working group to discuss problems, cooperate on information disclosure and provide appropriate access for joint monitoring and assessment.