U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work met with Japan's State Minister of Defense Kenji Wakamiya at the Pentagon Tuesday. "The two leaders discussed a range of issues, to include the implementation of the new guidelines for U.S.-Japan defense cooperation, the evolving security environment in the Asia-Pacific region, U.S. force realignment, and the third offset strategy," Pentagon spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Courtney Hillson said in a statement. "They agreed that the new guidelines has already established a more effective U.S.-Japan alliance and pledged to continue implementation efforts. Additionally, they both expressed strong commitment to the Futenma Replacement Facility and noted that it remains a critical step toward realigning U.S. forces on Okinawa," Hillson said. "Throughout the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, and committed to working together to strengthen and broaden the alliance to meet the security challenges of the twenty-first century," Hillson said.
