(VOVworld) – Japan will keep its financial support for US forces stationed in the country at the current level of around 1.6 billion USD annually.

Japan will keep its financial support for US forces stationed in the country at the current level of around 1.6 billion USD annually (Photo:brookings.edu)

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the deal supports US policy of rebalancing to Asia amid rising tensions. He said Japan and the US will continue to work together toward peace, stability and prosperity for both countries, the region and the world.

Japan and the US have agreed on Tokyo's host-nation support, or HNS, over five years through March 2021, during which spending will average out at 1.55 billion USD a year, compared with 1.56 billion USD for the current fiscal 2015.

The government aims to secure Diet approval of the new agreement before the current accord expires at the end of March, 2016.