Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen and Japanese leaders agreed Thursday on the return of control of the radar system at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture to Japan and to resolve an air pollution problem at a U.S. military base in Kanagawa Prefecture, according to Japanese officials.
In separate meetings with Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Defense Agency Chief Tsutomu Kawara, Cohen also reportedly reiterated that Washington hopes Tokyo will maintain the current level of host-nation support for the U.S. military. However the Japanese side only expressed hope that the two nations can reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion.
They also failed to make progress in the debate over the relocation of the heliport of the Futenma base in Okinawa.