Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda pledged Friday to resume
Japan's refueling support to US-led antiterrorism operations in the
Indian Ocean at a New Year press conference.
Fukuda told reporters that "we want to show Japan also shedding
sweat to other nations as early as possible," on the need to pass a
bill to authorize the refueling operations for foreign vessels in
the U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan.
The premier also stressed his support for realizing a permanent
law in the future for dispatching Self-Defense Forces overseas.
Japan halted a six-year refueling support to U.S.-led
antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan at the end of
October, as the special antiterrorism measures law authorizing such
operations expired on Nov. 1.
The current extraordinary parliament session has been extended
through Jan. 15 to allow sufficient time to vote and pass the
government-sponsored bill again in the lower house even if the
opposition-controlled upper house fails to approve it.
At the press conference, Fukuda said he would not reshuffle the
Cabinet before the start of the ordinary parliament session in
mid-January. "...I would like to have the current Cabinet members
continue their work," he said.
Fukuda also called for more frequent policy talks with the major
opposition Democratic Party of Japan, to break the current
political impasse.
On pension record-keeping blunders, the prime minister
apologized and said he would review the system.
(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2008)
