|
On February 7, Prime Minister Naoto Kan was asked by reporters for his thoughts regarding the Northern Territories issue. He responded, “I intend to make every effort to resolve the issue, based on the basic premise that we will conclude a peace treaty after the four islands have been returned to Japan.” He stressed that there was no change from the past stance of the Japanese governments on the issue, and reiterated the government’s intention of working toward the return of the Northern Territories to Japan.
Kan also referred to a comment made by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano regarding payment of the child allowance, in which he stated that “It is desirable to move in the direction of having the entire amount [of the child allowance] provided by central government.” Kan said, “Implementing the payment of the child allowance for the next fiscal year is our first priority. Following that, we will hold discussions with local authorities.”
Regarding the results of elections for the governor of Aichi prefecture and mayor of Nagoya city, Kan said, “We will carry out thorough analysis and investigation based on the results.”
|
