JAPAN: Japan's prime minister celebrates the upgrade of the country's Defense Agency status to Ministry

Japan's Defense Agency was formally upgraded into a fully-fledged ministry on Tuesday (January 09). Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the move important for regional security. "This transition (from agency to ministry) shows to the world the maturity of Japan as a democratic nation and our confidence in civilian control and furthermore our strong intention to play an important role in efforts to maintain regional security in East Asia," Prime Minister Abe said during a speech at the ceremony. "The security in our neighborhood has been in a serious situation following series of missile launches and the announcement of nuclear test by North Korea," added Defense Minister Kyuma stressing the importance of ministry status by which defense minister can call cabinet meetings on defense policies or take direct charge of requesting the annual military budget both of which had been impossible under the Defense Agency status. The upgrading of the Defense Agency to the Defense Ministry is part of a move by the Japanese government to regularize the status of its armed forces. One step would involve revising the pacifist clause of the U.S. drafted postwar constitution.

ITN Source | January 9, 2007

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