National and local government officials met Thursday to discuss industrial development and other issues surrounding the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corp's Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.
The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, was attended by Toshimitsu Motegi, state minister in charge of issues relating to Okinawa and the Northern Territories, Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine and other officials.
The relocation of the Futenma facility is in line with a report compiled in 1996 by the U.S.-Japan Special Action Committee on Okinawa for consolidating U.S. military bases in Okinawa.
The Cabinet decided in December 1999 to relocate the Futenma facility, located at Ginowan in central Okinawa, to the city of Nago in northern Okinawa.
During the meeting, those present agreed to add four new industrial development projects for municipalities in the northern part of Okinawa Island as part of efforts to boost the local economy.
The projects include the construction of facilities that would help attract firms dealing with information technology and finance.
Inamine stressed that he believes the four projects would contribute to the economy of both the northern island and the prefecture as a whole.
Another meeting was held to discuss the use of land to be vacated by the Futenma facility.
Participants of this meeting confirmed their support for efforts by the prefecture and the city to draw up a basic plan by the end of fiscal 2005.
Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha, who stated during April's mayoral election that he opposes the relocation of the facility to anywhere within Okinawa, attended the second meeting.
Iha asked for the national government's assistance in allowing the city to enter the facility to conduct an environmental study before it closes down.
He did not touch on his campaign pledge during Thursday's talks.
