Japan, US sign agreement on US troop maintenance expenses

TOKYO: Japan and the US have signed an agreement on the prolongation of expenses for the maintenance of US troops for the 2021 fiscal year, reported Sputnik news agency.

“Me and acting US ambassador to Japan, Joseph Young have signed a bilateral agreement on expenses for maintenance of US troops as it was agreed. Next, we will ask the parliament to approve the document so that the agreement goes into effect before the end of this fiscal year,” Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference yesterday.

Earlier in February, Japan and the US reached a tentative agreement for the 2021 fiscal year on maintenance costs associated with Japanese-stationed US troops on old terms until a new longer-term deal is negotiated. The current five-year deal is set to expire in March.

The tentative agreement keeps Tokyo’s share of costs at approximately the same level, namely 200 billion yen (US$1.92 billion) in the year starting on April 1, coming essentially as an extension of the old deal.

Tokyo and Washington agreed to continue negotiations to conclude a new long-term agreement beyond the current fiscal year, which ends April 1.

Japan has shouldered costs associated with the US military presence since 1978. Under the most recent long-term deal, the Japanese yearly spending amounted to 199.3 billion yen.

Former US President Donald Trump long sought to make Tokyo pay significantly more, slamming the existing deal as one-sided. There are reportedly around 54,000 US troops stationed in Japan. — Bernama