Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Friday renewed calls for "quick and smooth" passage of bills covering defense cooperation with the United States, as the Diet finally began deliberating the long-simmering issue.

Speaking at a plenary session of the House of Representatives, Obuchi expressed hope the bills would clear the Diet without changes. "There is no fact that the government is studying the revision of the bills," Obuchi said, responding to a question by Social Democratic Party member Harumi Tsujimoto. "The government strongly expects that the bills, which are important for Japan's peace and security, will clear the Diet at an early date."

Roughly a year after they were submitted to the legislature, the government kicked off deliberations of the three bills by explaining their contents and taking questions from both ruling and opposition camps.