DHAKA: The United States and Japan said on Thursday Tokyo would pay a third of the cost of Washington pulling thousands of Marines out of Japan as it reduces its heavy military presence on Okinawa.

US state secretary John Kerry, defence secretary Chuck Hagel, Japan’s foreign minister Fumio Kishida and defence minister Itsunori Onodera signed the protocol amending the 2009 Guam International Agreement, as part of a meeting on the two countries` alliance.

Changes include ‘clarifying that Japan will contribute up to $3.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2012 US dollars in direct cash contributions to develop facilities and infrastructure in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’, the state department said, reports The Straits Times.

It accounts for 36 percent of the projected US$8.6 billion cost of the relocation.

BDST: 1407 HRS, OCT 03, 2013
RoR/BSK