The Guam senators were supposed to hold a brief dialogue with Japan Senior Vice Minister of Defense Jun Azumi and his delegation at 2 p.m. that day.
But in the morning, the speaker’s office received a phone call from a staffer of the Consulate General of Japan saying the scheduled 30-minute meeting between senators and Azumi was changed to a short meet-and-greet photo opportunity.
Won Pat said she was also informed that then acting Gov. Mike Cruz did not get any notification that the vice minister would be visiting Guam, or any information regarding a courtesy visit.
“We have real concerns, and deserve an opportunity for a real conversation with the vice minister,” stated Won Pat. “Changing this to a photo opportunity is disrespectful. Japan made an agreement with the U.S. — excluding Guam — to relocate their Okinawan base to our island. Japan has yet to sit down with our elected officials.”
Japan and the United States agreed to relocate approximately 8,600 American troops from Okinawa to Guam.
Many outstanding issues need to be addressed, like funding for and timing of the buildup, said Won Pat.
“We have too much at stake, and too many outstanding issues with both Japan and the United States,” continued the speaker. “When they are ready for an actual conversation, we will be too.”
The Japanese government has committed $740 million in infrastructure upgrades, but how those funds will be identified remains uncertain.
