ニュース 2009/10/21 Hirano says PM told Gates both countries need to consider the various outstanding issues more carefully On October 21, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano held his regular press conference at the Prime Minister’s residence. He referred to the meeting between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates that had taken place earlier that same day. He said that the two sides had shared the perception that the bilateral relationship must be treated as a key partnership by both nations. He also reported that Prime Minister Hatoyama had said that “Japan and the US need to consider thoroughly and seriously the various issues outstanding between the two nations.” Hirano also revealed that Hatoyama had told Gates of his overall view of the matter, and had stated that any response should take into account the fact that a new administration had been elected, that US military realignment was taking place in the midst of a variety of problems, and furthermore that the feelings of the citizens of Okinawa and electoral results needed to be considered, while acknowledging that the fact that an agreement had already been reached between the Japanese and US governments also needed to be sufficiently considered.. On the subject of continuing assistance to Afghanistan, Hirano said that Hatoyama had told Gates, “Japan would also like to fully fulfil its responsibility to lead Afghanistan in a peaceful direction.”