Panetta heralds defense ties to Japan
Japan and the United States are examining ways to modernise an alliance that’s secured the region for more than 50 years, the US defense secretary said.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta met with Japanese Defense minister Satoshi Morimoto at the Pentagon to discuss defense in the Asia-Pacific region. Panetta said they talked about modernising the alliance through training and intelligence operations.
Morimoto said the defensive relationship between the United States and Japan extended beyond bilateral security issues.
“This alliance has been the bedrock of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 50 years,” added Panetta during a news conference.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. UPI/Sebastian Scheiner/Pool
US deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter last week briefed reporters on his 10-day tour of Asia.
With no multilateral alliance like NATO in the region, said Ashton, continuity of mission in the Asia-Pacific was needed given the historic presence of the US military.
Monday marked the anniversary of the US military deployment of an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.
Category: Japan
