US Secretary of State Colin Powell met here on Thursday with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutake Machimura, with the two sides "having covered full range of issues between the two countries."

In a brief questions-and-answer meeting after the talks, Powellspoke highly of US-Japan relations, noting "the United States-Japan alliance and relationship and partnership in Asia is really the bulwark for peace and stability in Asia."

Powell especially expressed appreciation for Japan's military presence in Iraq, saying "the good start" will help the Iraqi people get freedom, peace and security.

He said Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will go to Tokyo next week to discuss strategic matters with his Japanese counterparts while participating in the Iraqi donors' conference.

In response, Machimura shared Powell's remarks about Japan-US relations. He also proposed to beef up bilateral cooperation to deal with the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsular.

"We should strengthen the six-party talks, and we will have the proper answer as for the nuclear development in North Korea," Machimura said.

Referring to the transformation of US military deployment in Okinawa, the Japanese foreign minister expressed the hope to "lessen the excess burden" on Okinawa.

"That point is very important for us, so that we will continue and we will reach some conclusion in order to have a rational solution between two countries," he said.

Okinawa, captured by US forces in 1945 and returned to Japan in 1972, accounts for less than one percent of Japan's land mass but hosts about 65 percent of the 40,500 US forces in the country.

It was reported that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to ask Washington to move some of its marines based on Okinawa island abroad because of strong opposition from Japanese mainland cities to hosting US military bases.

The two countries have agreed to reduce the US military bases there but no concrete plans have been worked out.

Source: Agencies