Japan's Afghan refueling agreement expires

TOKYO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Japan’s 6-year-old anti-terrorism refueling mission for Afghanistan in the Indian Ocean expired Thursday but the prime minister vowed to renew it.

Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba ordered Japanese refueling vessels out of the region, ending Japanese support of U.S. and NATO anti-terrorism operations in and near Afghanistan, the Kyodo news service reported.

However, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said in a statement the move would be temporary.

''We need to continue, by all means, the refueling activities for our country to fulfill our responsibility in the international community's solidarity to eradicate terrorism,'' Fukuda said.

Japan’s main opposition parties have opposed the mission. Efforts by Fukuda to reach an agreement with opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa haven't succeeded although the two are to meet again this week.

Fukuda’s ruling coalition controls Japan’s lower house of parliament but Ozawa’s opposition enjoys a majority in the upper house.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said, in the past six years, its ships have conducted 794 refueling missions for vessels from 11 countries, including the United States, France, Britain and Pakistan.