January 26, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 16, 1429

TOKYO, Jan 25: Japan and the United States on Friday signed an agreement slightly trimming Japan’s financial burden for hosting US military bases as Tokyo tries to contain a growing national debt.

Japan has been officially pacifist since World War II and hosts more than 40,000 troops from the United States, which is bound by treaty to defend its Asian ally.

US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer and Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura signed the accord on the three-year host nation support package starting in April, in line with an initial agreement in December, the foreign ministry and US embassy said in statements.

Under the accord, Japan will provide 25.3 billion yen ($236m) for utilities expenses on US bases for the year to March 2009, unchanged from the fiscal year to March 2008.

But Japan’s burden for utilities costs starting the following fiscal year will be cut by 1.5 per cent, the two sides said.

Japan will continue to pay the salaries of more than 23,000 Japanese who work on US bases. Japan has been fighting with the workers’ unions, who called strikes last year, as it tries to reduce their pay and benefits.

—AFP