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Japan to have ministerial position for collective defence

“We shall prepare the necessary legal base,” Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said

TOKYO, July 06, /ITAR-TASS/. Japan will organise a special ministerial position: the official will be responsible for collective defence, the right for which the country received under a recent resolution of its government, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday.

“We shall prepare the necessary legal base,” the prime minister said. “Since it will be a major legal change, I shall appoint a new minister to consider those issues.” The prime minister did not specify time limits for the new position to appear.

Several days earlier, Japan’s government adopted a resolution, which allows the armed forces under certain circumstances to use force abroad, including for defence of “friendly countries.” The resolution lifts several restrictions for actions of the armed forces in the divisions of the UN abroad, where Japanese military practically had no right to use arms. Now they obtain the right. The armed forces will also have wider opportunities in the so-called “grey zones,” where they have to fight not regular contingents, but half-military of militarised units.

The resolution has aroused protests, which featured many thousands of participants, who arrived in Tokyo over several past days. Results of public opinion surveys say one in two Japanese are against the initiative of the government headed by Shinzo Abe.

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