• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Japan Seeks Bilateral Meeting With North Korea at Six-Party Talks

Posted on: Saturday, 30 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

Text of report by Yuji Anai from Beijing entitled: "Japan seeks bilateral meeting with DPRK; approaching North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim; also calling on the United States and China; DPRK has been showing stubborn stance by 'ignoring Japan'," published by Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on 30 July

Beijing: The japanese Government is seeking to hold bilateral meetings with North Korea for the first time in approximately eight months, taking the opportunity of the six-party talks concerning North Korea's nuclear issues. The government intends to resolve Japan-DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] relations, which have been deadlocked, and has obtained cooperation from the United States and China. However, North Korea has not changed its stubborn stance of "ignoring Japan".

"It is not right to say that the Japanese delegation for the six- party talks is not voicing opinions on the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. The nuclear issue, as well as the abduction issue, is important. We are trying to solve the issues in a comprehensive manner," stressed Prime Minister Koizumi in a cabinet meeting on 29 July. He countered Nariaki Nakayama, minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, who expressed discontent on the treatment of the abduction issue in the six-party talks.

Indeed, Kenichiro Sasae, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, has repeatedly presented the abduction issue in the six-party talks. Also, he has been approaching North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-kwan everyday to try to make contact.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said on 27 July: "Mr Kim has not taken an indifferent attitude to Mr Sasae. North Korea is concentrating on the nuclear issue at this moment. It may respond to the Japan-DPRK talks if there is any development in the nuclear issue."

Also, some government officials are feeling a sense of caution that, "If Japan strongly shows its willingness to hold Japan-DPRK negotiations, North Korea may use the holding of the talks itself as a negotiation card."

Both the United States and China are urging the North to respond to Japan-DPRK talks and are providing indirect support to Japan. A government official pointed out: "The United States and China want to prioritize nuclear issues in the general meetings. They want Japan and North Korea to discuss the abduction issue in the bilateral meetings, and that is their true feelings."

If Japan-DPRK negotiations are realized, the government intends to urge the North to resume the Japan-DPRK working level meetings, which were halted in November 2004, as the top priority. However, since Vice Foreign Minister Kim is in charge of US affairs, it is expected that he may not give an immediate response but respond after bringing the issue to back to his home country.

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

More News in this Category