New Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has stated that his country will set up an equal partnership with the US .

This is one of the pledges made by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) during the recent elections to the House of Representatives, Okada told reporters on Sept. 17.

Regarding the country’s Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) fuel supply mission in the Indian Ocean that concludes on January 2010 Okada reiterated that the mission should not be extended easily.

He also said that it is of benefit to Japan to help with the reconstruction of Afghanistan./.