The central and the Okinawa governments will soon resume previously stalled talks on U.S. military bases in the prefecture, a special adviser to Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on Okinawa affairs said Monday.
Yukio Okamoto told reporters that both Hashimoto and Okinawa Gov. Masahide Ota hope to "carefully and sincerely" discuss base-related issues and measures to promote the local economy.
Prior to their meeting, working-level talks will be arranged within this month at the latest, Okamoto said after meeting with Hashimoto at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. "We would like to dispel misunderstanding, if any, between the central government and the local government," Okamoto said.
The relations between Tokyo and Okinawa have been sour since Ota announced early last month that Okinawa would not accept a government-proposed plan to build a sea-based heliport off Nago, northern Okinawa, to take over the major functions of U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, central Okinawa.
The government has maintained that the heliport would be the sole option to achieve the reversion of Futenma, while Okinawa has refused a simple relocation of the base within the prefecture.