New Defense Minister Akinori Eto said Monday the ministry will make every effort to achieve the "earliest possible" relocation of the Futenma base to the proposed site further north on Okinawa Island.
"We have to avoid keeping the (U.S. Marine Corps) Air Station Futenma in the center of Ginowan, which is densely packed with houses and schools," Eto, 58, said in a group interview at the Defense Ministry. "Though we are fully aware of the various opinions among the local public, the only solution to avoid continuous use of the Futenma air station is its relocation to (the shores of) Camp Schwab" in the city of Nago.
Eto stressed that the ministry will be tenacious in explaining the significance and benefits of the relocation to Okinawa's residents.