Japan, U.S. sign accord on forces

At a signing ceremony with Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone at the Iikura guest house in Tokyo, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, making her first trip as chief diplomat, reassured Japan that its ties with the U.S. are key to Washington's policy in Asia and will contribute to peace and stability in the region."The realignment reflects the commitment we have to modernize our military posture in the Pacific," Clinton said.It was one of the first diplomatic agreements signed by the administration of President Barack Obama. "This is one more example of the strong and vibrant alliance that we enjoy," Clinton said at the signing ceremony. The agreement, based on a 2006 road map for reorganizing the U.S. forces in Japan, states that the two sides will advance the transfer to ease Okinawa's burden in hosting the bases. Foreign Ministry officials lauded the move as the fastest and most realistic measure for bolstering public support for the security alliance."We had agreed on terms with the road map, but the signing of an official agreement makes the accord legally inclusive and established," a Foreign Ministry official said.In another sign that Washington is drawing closer to Japan, Clinton invited Aso to visit the White House on Feb. 24 to meet Obama."The Japanese prime minister will be the first head of state to visit the new president. We thankfully accept the invitation," Nakasone said.Aso has been eager to meet his popular U.S. counterpart before an economic summit is held in April in London.Tuesday's document states that Japan will pay for $6.09 billion of the $10.27 billion price tag for the U.S. forces realignment. Developing new facilities and infrastructure on Guam alone will cost Japan $2.8 billion. The agreement requires that Washington limit its use of Japan's money to relocation projects and return any that goes unused...more..http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090218a1.html