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日米外相会談 現行案軸に「普天間」合意急げ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (May. 23, 2010)
Japan-U.S. accord on Futenma an urgent task
日米外相会談 現行案軸に「普天間」合意急げ(5月22日付・読売社説)

This is no time for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to be overly concerned about his personal pride. If he aims to reach a Japan-U.S. agreement on the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, he should not cling to superficial revisions but go back to the original plan agreed upon by Japan and the United States in 2006.
 もはや鳩山首相はメンツにこだわっている時ではない。米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題で日米合意を目指すなら、小手先の修正に固執せず、現行案に回帰する決断をすべきだ。

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada during a brief visit to this country Friday, and confirmed that the two nations would continue to work toward the announcement of a bilateral agreement on the Futenma issue within the month.
 来日したクリントン米国務長官が岡田外相と会談し、普天間問題の日米合意を月内にまとめる方向で調整を急ぐ方針を確認した。

"I am confident we will resolve this matter in a way that reflects the very best of our alliance, the strength of that alliance," Clinton stressed in a joint press conference with Okada.
長官は記者会見で、「日米同盟の強さを反映する形で解決できると確信している」と強調した。

The Hatoyama administration initially rejected the original 2006 plan, which calls for the reclamation of a coastal area in the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, to construct an alternative facility to the Futenma Air Station.
 鳩山政権は当初、沖縄県名護市辺野古の沿岸部を埋め立てて普天間飛行場の代替施設を建設する現行案に否定的だった。

However, the administration recently changed its approach to settling the issue by partially revising the 2006 plan on such points as the location of the alternative facility and the construction method. This is because the administration's attempts to obtain the cooperation of new candidate sites for relocation--such as Tokunoshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture--failed one after another, mainly due to opposition from local governments and residents.
 だが、最近、現行案の代替施設の位置や建設工法を一部修正することで決着を目指す方針に転じた。鹿児島県・徳之島など新たな移設先候補が、地元の反対で次々と頓挫したためだ。

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Too late but practical

As there is almost no hope Hatoyama will be able to keep his promise of settling the issue by the end of May, the administration appears to want to demonstrate that the problem has been solved by at least managing to reach a Japan-U.S. agreement.
 鳩山首相が約束した5月末の問題決着が絶望的となる中、せめて日米合意をまとめ、体裁を繕おうという思惑があるようだ。

The policy change comes too late, but it is practical and desirable from the viewpoint of lessening the burden on Okinawa Prefecture while at the same time maintaining the Japan-U.S. alliance.
 遅すぎた方針転換だが、日米同盟を堅持しつつ、沖縄の負担軽減を実現する観点からは、現実的で望ましい方向と言えよう。

As long as the administration is reversing its policy, it should immediately abandon the idea of changing the construction method from reclamation to the quick installation platform method in the name of "giving serious consideration to the environment."
 方針転換した以上、「環境重視」の名目で埋め立てを杭(くい)打ち桟橋方式に変更することなどは、早く断念した方がいい。

The government should give more consideration to the fact that an administrative organization of residents in the Henoko district--people who will feel the impact of the relocation most strongly--accepted the 2006 reclamation plan, albeit conditionally.
 代替施設の影響を最も受ける辺野古地区の住民組織が埋め立てによる現行案を容認していることをもっと重視する必要がある。

Hatoyama advocated transfer of the Futenma functions to somewhere outside the prefecture due to his lack of understanding of the problem and was unable to make a decision to go forward with the 2006 plan in December last year. He should apologize to the public for these failures in a straightforward manner and ask for the understanding of local governments and residents of Okinawa Prefecture.
 鳩山首相は、普天間問題に関する理解不足から「県外移設」を主張したり、昨年末に現行案での決着を決断できなかったりした自らの過ちを率直に謝罪し、沖縄や地元の理解を求めるべきだ。

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China's cooperation key

During the Okada-Clinton talks, the two ministers agreed their countries would support South Korea and cooperate with that nation regarding the March sinking of a South Korean Navy patrol vessel. A multinational team of investigators concluded Thursday the ship sank as the result of a torpedo attack by a North Korean submarine.
 日米外相会談では、「北朝鮮の魚雷攻撃」が原因と判明した韓国軍哨戒艦沈没事件について、日米両国が韓国の立場を支持し、連携していく方針で一致した。

Although it was South Korea that was directly affected by the incident, Japan cannot view it as someone else's problem. We must recognize it as a serious issue that concerns our own security. It is important for Japan to discuss the issue closely and continuously with the United States, a mutual ally of Japan and South Korea.
 被害を受けたのは韓国だが、日本にとっても決して人ごとではない。日本自らの安全保障にかかわる重大な問題と認識したうえ、日韓共通の同盟国である米国と緊密に協議を重ねることが大切だ。

If South Korea brings the case to the U.N. Security Council, Japan should naturally extend the utmost cooperation toward adoption of a strict, effective resolution at the council and the formation of an international coalition against North Korea.
 韓国が国連安全保障理事会に事件を提起すれば、実効性のある厳しい決議を採択し、北朝鮮包囲網を構築するよう、日本が最大限協力するのは当然である。

The important thing is to win the cooperation of China, which has a certain level of influence over North Korea. In that sense, the talks scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday between the foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea will be an important diplomatic forum. Hatoyama must align his steps with those of South Korea in persuading China.
 重要なのは、北朝鮮に一定の影響力を持つ中国の協力を得ることだ。29、30両日の日中韓首脳会談が重要な外交の場となる。鳩山首相は、韓国と足並みをそろえ、中国を説得せねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 22, 2010)
(2010年5月22日01時16分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2010-05-23 08:57 | 英字新聞

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