Press Releases
Courtesy Call on Foreign Minister Taro Kono by Lieutenant General Kevin B. Schneider, Commander, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force
On June 25, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call commencing from11:25 a.m. for approximately 25 minutes by Lieutenant General Kevin B. Schneider, Commander, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows.
1. At the beginning, Foreign Minister Kono welcomed the fact that ties between Japan and the U.S. has been further enhanced through the mutual visits of VIPs between the two countries. Minister Kono expressed his high appreciation to General Schneider for the role that the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) has been playing in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
2. General Schneider responded that he would like to further engage with developing more robust Japan-U.S. alliance and that he would like to closely work with the Government of Japan in doing so.
3. Both sides reconfirmed the mutual commitment that both countries will continue to steadily implement the realignment of the U.S. forces including the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) with a view to maintaining deterrent capabilities while mitigating the impact on local communities. Foreign Minister Kono emphasized the importance of making progress, one by one, on the issues surrounding the operation of U.S. forces and the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).