ID :
10036
Sun, 06/15/2008 - 16:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/10036
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NKOREA ENVOY SAYS TALKS WITY JAPAN "SINCERE" IN-DEPTH
BEIJING, June 15 (Kyodo) - North Korea's envoy to talks with Japan said Saturday he thinks discussion between the two countries held in Beijing this week was sincere and in-depth.
As he headed home, Song Il Ho remained silent on how Pyongyang plans to reinvestigate the North Korean abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, one of the agreements reached during the talks.
''I can say that the overall talks were sincere, and that in-depth exchanges were held,'' Song, ambassador for normalization talks with Japan, told reporters at Beijing's international airport.
After the two days of talks, Japan and North Korea announced an agreement that included Pyongyang's promise to once again look into the kidnapping cases.
Asked how the probe will be carried out, Song only said, ''We said a reinvestigation will be carried out, and I think you can interpret it as such.''
He said that the schedule for the next round of negotiations has yet to be decided on, and that it will be coordinated through diplomatic channels.
In the agreement announced Friday, North Korea also expressed readiness to work toward resolving the issue of Japanese radicals who remain in North Korea after hijacking a plane to the country. Japan has repeatedly demanded that North Korea hand the hijackers over.
Under the deal, Tokyo will ease some of the sanctions it has imposed on Pyongyang since its nuclear test in October 2006.
As he headed home, Song Il Ho remained silent on how Pyongyang plans to reinvestigate the North Korean abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, one of the agreements reached during the talks.
''I can say that the overall talks were sincere, and that in-depth exchanges were held,'' Song, ambassador for normalization talks with Japan, told reporters at Beijing's international airport.
After the two days of talks, Japan and North Korea announced an agreement that included Pyongyang's promise to once again look into the kidnapping cases.
Asked how the probe will be carried out, Song only said, ''We said a reinvestigation will be carried out, and I think you can interpret it as such.''
He said that the schedule for the next round of negotiations has yet to be decided on, and that it will be coordinated through diplomatic channels.
In the agreement announced Friday, North Korea also expressed readiness to work toward resolving the issue of Japanese radicals who remain in North Korea after hijacking a plane to the country. Japan has repeatedly demanded that North Korea hand the hijackers over.
Under the deal, Tokyo will ease some of the sanctions it has imposed on Pyongyang since its nuclear test in October 2006.
