Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi speaks at a plenary session of the House of Councilors held in Tokyo on the 18th. Tokyo = AP Yonhap News
It is reported that the United States and Japan have gathered consensus to extend the existing special agreement on the US military defense cost share in Japan, which expires in March this year, by one year.
According to Kyodo News on the 31st, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu held a telephone meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln on the 27th. Explained. The news agency said, “The US side has expressed its approval” to Japan’s proposal. The two countries are planning to officially resume working-level consultations this week and reach an early agreement.
Contributions to the US Forces in Japan are determined based on the Special Agreement on US-Japan Defense Expenses, which is renewed every five years. The existing agreement will expire in March. The U.S. and Japan began negotiations in November of last year, but at the time of Donald Trump, the US President demanded a significant increase and could not find an agreement. Later, as his resignation became clear, the Japanese side delayed the agreement after the US regime change.
The Japanese government has reflected 201.7 billion yen (about 2.15 trillion won) as contributions to the US military in Japan in the budget for fiscal 2021. This is a 1.2% increase from last year’s contribution (199.3 billion yen). In accordance with the existing agreement, if the USFK ante is determined in fiscal year 2021, it is not expected that it will significantly exceed the budget set by the Japanese government.
The Japanese government plans to conclude negotiations with the US for contributions to the US Forces in Japan in next month and obtain approval from the National Assembly in March. The budget bill of the Japanese government, which starts a new fiscal year every April, usually passes through the National Assembly at the end of March.
Heo Gyeongju reporter [email protected]
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