Consul General meets new Okinawa Governor

On December 26, Consul General Kevin Maher formally met new Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima for the first time. During the meeting, Consul General Maher stressed the importance of implementing the agreed to relocation of Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to Camp Schwab as soon as possible. In addition, Maher said that, while both governments agreed on the importance of reducing the burden of base hosting communities in Okinawa, it could not be done at the expense of jeopardizing the deterrent capability of Futenma in the interim. As such, he said that it would be impossible to close the facility within three years as requested by the governor.