米軍駐留費、来月にも交渉本格化　２２年度から複数年分

　在日米軍駐留経費の日本側負担（思いやり予算）をめぐり、日米両政府は２０２２年度から複数年度分の金額を決めるための実務者協議を８月上旬にも米国で行う方向で調整に入った。関係者が２９日明らかにした。米側は増額を求めるとみられ、年末までの妥結を目指し、交渉が本格化する。（2021/07/29-19:22）

The Japanese and U.S. governments are planning to hold working-level talks on Japan's host-nation financial support for U.S. military bases in the country early next month, according to informed sources.
   Tokyo and Washington are looking to hold the meeting in the United States to discuss the amount of expenses that will be shouldered by Japan over multiple years from fiscal 2022 to host the U.S. bases and troops in the Asian nation, the sources said Thursday. The U.S. side is expected to ask for an increase in such cost burden.
   The meeting will mark the start of full-fledged talks on the matter by the two countries, which aim to come to a conclusion by the end of this year.
   The amount of Japan's host-nation support is determined by a special bilateral pact, which had been renewed every five years based on the results of Japan-U.S. negotiations.
   The two countries extended the latest pact, initially set to cover the five years through fiscal 2020, by a year, agreeing that Japan would shoulder roughly the same amount in yearly expenses of around 200 billion yen in fiscal 2021 as in the year before.