Washington: A senior US official has indicated that Washington will take a wait-and-see stance on a new deadline set by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government for deciding where to relocate a US Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture.
Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley told reporters on Thursday that the Japanese government is now conducting a review of the relocation plan and that the United States awaits developments.
"If the timetable of that review is accelerated, like I said, we await their findings and their judgment," the top State Department spokesman said.
His remarks came after Hatoyama told reporters yesterday that he thinks the Japanese government should come up with a plan on where to relocate the Futemma Air Station by the end of March.
Japan and the United States agreed in 2006 to transfer the heliport functions of the Futemma facility in Ginowan to a coastal area of the Marines' Camp Schwab located in the less densely populated city of Nago in Okinawa by 2014.
Hatoyama's government started to review the accord after coming to power last September.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 05, 2010, 14:46