首相沖縄訪問 普天間移設へまず信頼回復だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 4, 2013)
Govt should restore trust with Okinawa to solve Futenma issue
首相沖縄訪問　普天間移設へまず信頼回復だ（2月3日付・読売社説）

The efforts that many people have made for 17 years since the United States agreed in 1996 to return the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to Japan must not be wasted. The government should do its utmost to advance relocation of the air station.
　１９９６年の米軍普天間飛行場返還の日米合意から１７年にも及ぶ、多くの関係者の努力を無に帰させてはなるまい。政府は、普天間移設の前進に全力を挙げてもらいたい。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the prefecture on Saturday for the first time since taking office and held talks with Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima. Abe told Nakaima that the government had increased appropriations for the economic development of the prefecture in the fiscal 2013 budget and sought his understanding for relocating the air station to the Henoko district of Nago in the prefecture.
　安倍首相が就任後初めて沖縄県を訪問し、仲井真弘多知事と会談した。２０１３年度予算案で沖縄振興費を増やしたことを説明するとともに、普天間飛行場の名護市辺野古移設に理解を求めた。

Nakaima praised the increase in funding and expressed his gratitude.
　知事は、沖縄振興予算の増額を高く評価し、謝意を表明した。

In fiscal 2012, then Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government increased the budget for development of Okinawa Prefecture by 25 percent. The current Abe administration has allocated 300 billion yen, up 4 percent, in fiscal 2013.
　沖縄振興予算は、野田政権が１２年度に２５％増やしたのに続き、安倍政権も１３年度は４％増の３０００億円を計上した。

The government is also planning to shorten the construction period of the second runway at Naha Airport by more than one year from the seven years initially scheduled.
那覇空港第２滑走路の工期も当初の７年から１年以上短縮する方針だ。

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Achieve tangible results

The trust between the central government and Okinawa Prefecture, which was broken by the Democratic Party of Japan-led government under then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, must be restored so progress can be made on the long-standing issue of Futenma. We can understand the Abe government's intention to expand measures for development of the prefecture as the first step toward that goal.
　長年の懸案である普天間問題の進展には、民主党の鳩山政権が崩壊させた沖縄県との信頼関係の再構築が欠かせない。安倍政権が沖縄振興策の拡充をその第一歩にしようとする意図は理解できる。

But the government must achieve tangible results. The DPJ-led government paid due consideration to the prefecture by giving preferential treatment to the budget for its development. But it failed to make progress on Futenma because it rigidly clung to the premise that the development budget and the issue of U.S. bases were not connected.
　重要なのは、きちんと結果を出すことだ。民主党政権は、振興予算の特別扱いなどで沖縄県に配慮したが、「振興予算と米軍基地問題は関連させない」といった建前論に終始し、肝心の普天間問題を前進させられなかった。

During his talks with the prime minister, Nakaima said Okinawan residents strongly desire the Japanese and U.S. governments to relocate Futenma outside the prefecture.
　会談で仲井真知事は、普天間問題について「県民には県外に出してほしいとの強い願いがある」と語った。

"Futenma can't remain [at the present location]," Abe replied. "I'd like to proceed [with the issue] within the framework of the Japan-U.S. agreement."
首相は「普天間の固定化はあってはならない。米国との合意の中で進めたい」と応じた。

After his talks with Nakaima, Abe said the government would not apply for permission from Okinawa Prefecture to reclaim coastal areas of Henoko before he visits the United States late this month. We think this is part of his efforts to restore the trust between the central and Okinawa prefectural governments.
　首相は会談後、今月下旬の訪米前は辺野古沿岸部の埋め立てを沖縄県に申請しない考えを示した。信頼関係構築の一環だろう。

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Exhaustive talks necessary

So far, there is no appropriate place other than Henoko to transfer the functions of the air station in Ginowan. If the government fails to get permission from the governor to reclaim land, the dangerous situation at Futenma is highly likely to be unchanged for an extended period of time.
　今のところ、辺野古以外に現実的な普天間の移設先はない。知事の埋め立て許可が得られない場合、普天間の危険な現状が長期間固定化する恐れが濃厚だ。

To avoid the worst-case scenario, the government and Okinawa Prefecture should hold serious and exhaustive discussions on the issue from various perspectives.
　そうした最悪の事態を避けるよう、政府と沖縄県は真剣に多角的な協議を尽くす必要がある。

One idea is for the central and prefectural governments to discuss with the city of Ginowan how to use the plot of land that hosted the air station once it is returned to Japan.
　普天間飛行場返還後の跡地利用策について、地元の宜野湾市を交えて話し合うのも一案だろう。

The lack of plans to efficiently use the sites of U.S. military facilities after they are given back often makes the Japanese owners reluctant regarding their return and delays the process.
跡地の有効利用策がないため、地主らが消極的になり、米軍施設の返還が遅れる例も少なくない。

It is also important to alleviate the burdens on local communities by achieving the return of the marines' Camp Foster (Zukeran) and other U.S. facilities, and by relocating some U.S. military training facilities outside the prefecture.
Besides, the government should steadily move forward with consultations with Okinawa Prefecture on development of the northern part of the prefecture, along with the relocation of Futenma to the Henoko district.
　キャンプ瑞慶覧など他の米軍施設の返還と一部訓練の県外移転による地元負担の軽減や、辺野古移設に伴う県北部の地域振興の協議も着実に進めることが大切だ。

Past governments led by the Liberal Democratic Party had a good track record of having numerous talks with people concerned in local communities since 1996, to expand their understanding of the relocation of Futenma.
　自民党政権は９６年以降、地元関係者と地道な対話を重ねて、普天間移設への理解を広げた実績がある。

Now it is the time for the government and the ruling parties to work together to accelerate their persuasion of local communities.
今こそ政府・与党が一体となり、説得作業を加速すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 3, 2013)
（2013年2月3日01時36分  読売新聞）