米兵事件で情報共有重要　日米、再発防止へ連携確認

　日米両政府は２８日の外務・防衛担当閣僚による安全保障協議委員会（２プラス２）で、沖縄県で相次いだ米兵による性暴力事件に関し、適時の情報共有のため継続的に調整する重要性を確認した。日本側は遺憾の意を表明し、再発防止に向け連携していくことを申し合わせた。
　事件を巡り在日米軍は日本政府と連携して在日米軍幹部らによる意見交換の場（フォーラム）を創設すると先に発表。２プラス２の共同発表文書は「容認することのできない事件や行為を防ぐため、在日米軍が実施する取り組みを評価した」と明記した。
　上川陽子外相は共同記者会見で「重要なことは米側が発表した措置が確実に実行され、再発防止につながることだ」と指摘。オースティン米国防長官は事件に遺憾の意を示し、再発防止に努める考えを表明した。（2024/07/28-20:17）

The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the United States on Sunday confirmed the importance of continued bilateral coordination for sharing "timely information" on incidents and accidents, following a recent spate of sexual assault cases involving U.S. servicemen in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa.
   At a bilateral two-plus-two ministerial security meeting held in Tokyo, the Japanese side expressed regret over the recent sexual assault cases, and the two sides agreed to work together to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
   As a preventive measure, U.S. forces in Japan earlier this month announced a plan to work with the Japanese government to set up a forum in which senior U.S. military officers stationed in Japan, Okinawa prefectural government officials and locals in Okinawa will exchange opinions.
   A joint statement adopted at the two-plus-two meeting said that the participating ministers "welcomed the efforts" to be implemented by U.S. forces in Japan "to prevent unacceptable incidents and behavior."
   At a joint press conference after the meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said the important thing is that the measures announced by the United States will be implemented without fail, leading to the prevention of a recurrence.