The Foreign Ministry included 420 million yen for costs related to chartered flights for the foreign minister in its budget bill for the next fiscal year, raising the amount six-fold from that of the current fiscal year.
The budget is for chartering planes used for the foreign minister to visit other countries.
Though the Foreign Ministry initially estimated that private-sector commercial flights used by the minister would total 500 hours a year, the earmarked budget for the purpose was reduced to an amount for 200 hours as a result of negotiations with the Finance Ministry.
Foreign Minister Taro Kono has frequently visited other countries since he took the post. So far, he has visited about 60 countries as minister.
When regular flights of private-sector airlines to his destinations are not available, the ministry uses chartered planes for the minister.
Kono, who has insisted that a government-owned plane exclusively for the foreign minister is necessary, said at a press conference Friday, "I want to continue talks with concerned authorities of the Finance Ministry."
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