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Summary
Japan decided on Tuesday to provide up to $5 billion in new aid to Afghanistan over five years, a package Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama hopes will improve strained security ties with Washington ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit this week. Concerns are growing about friction over a planned reorganisation of the U.S. military presence in Japan, the first big test of ties between Washington and a new Japanese government that wants more equal relations with its closest security ally.This is not just about providing money. We are providing human resources, too. And this should be kept in mind, Japan's top government spokesman Hirofumi Hirano told a regular news conference. Hatoyama is expected to present the new aid package to Obama, who is in the midst of a lengthy review of U.S. strategy for Afghanistan, at a bilateral summit on Friday (November 13) in Tokyo. The aid package, which comes ahead of a planned halt to Japan's naval refueling mission in support of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan, will focus on civilian steps including job training for former Taliban fighters after decades of war.
