US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter met with Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, and the sides agreed to enhance monitoring of the US military present in Japan under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), Sputnik reported citing Pentagon.
The 15th Asia Security Summit, or the Shangri-La Dialogue, is currently underway in Singapore, bringing together regional defense officials and Western military officials to discuss the pressing security issues.
"Secretary Carter and Minister Nakatani decided to focus on the following areas: reviewing SOFA implementation practices related to U.S. personnel with SOFA status, including the civilian component; strengthening the monitoring of SOFA status of U.S. personnel, including the civilian component; and enhancing education and training for U.S. personnel with SOFA status," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.
The two officials confirmed their intent to develop these measures "at the earliest possible occasion," he added.
In late May, a former US Marine, Kenneth Franklin was arrested on suspicion of stabbing and strangling a 20-year-old Japanese woman near US Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. The woman, Rina Shimabukuro, disappeared on April 28 and was later found dead in a forest. Franklin has reportedly admitted to committing the murder. Shortly following, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a joint press conference with US President Barack Obama that Japan would implement new measures to protect the people of Okinawa
Carter expressed his regret over the murder, as well as offered his sincere apologies to the family and friends of the deceased. He reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with Government of Japan to prevent incidents in the future.