ID :
207877
Sun, 09/18/2011 - 16:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/207877
The shortlink copeid
Japan not to tighten sanctions against North Korea
TOKYO, Sept. 18 Kyodo -
The government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda decided Saturday not to impose additional sanctions against North Korea in light of improving prospects for dialogues between Pyongyang and other governments involved in North Korea's nuclear development issue, government sources said.
After extending the sanctions in April including a total ban on North Korean vessels making port calls in Japan, Noda's predecessor Naoto Kan told his ministers to consider additional actions against North Korea.
Noda's administration concluded that implementing additional sanctions could cause Japan to be held responsible for throwing cold water on situations surrounding diplomatic efforts aimed at resuming multilateral talks on Pyongyang's nuclear development, the sources said.
Questions also remain about the effectiveness of additional measures in seeking progress on the issues of nuclear program, ballistic missile development and past abductions of Japanese nationals, they said.
While keeping the current sanctions in place, the Japanese government will explore possibilities to resume dialogue with Pyongyang suspended since August 2008.
The decision is likely to anger family members of abduction victims who reiterated their request for additional sanctions in their meeting with Noda on Sept. 11.
In June, Kan instructed some ministers to consider tightening sanctions if North Korea does not agree to reinvestigation of abductees' cases by the end of September.
But new sanctions now would be ill-timed as possibilities are growing for progress in bringing North Korea to the negotiating table with the international community as the 100th anniversary next year of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il Sung approaches, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
The multilateral denuclearization talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia, have been stalled since December 2008.
2011-09-18 20:59:15
The government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda decided Saturday not to impose additional sanctions against North Korea in light of improving prospects for dialogues between Pyongyang and other governments involved in North Korea's nuclear development issue, government sources said.
After extending the sanctions in April including a total ban on North Korean vessels making port calls in Japan, Noda's predecessor Naoto Kan told his ministers to consider additional actions against North Korea.
Noda's administration concluded that implementing additional sanctions could cause Japan to be held responsible for throwing cold water on situations surrounding diplomatic efforts aimed at resuming multilateral talks on Pyongyang's nuclear development, the sources said.
Questions also remain about the effectiveness of additional measures in seeking progress on the issues of nuclear program, ballistic missile development and past abductions of Japanese nationals, they said.
While keeping the current sanctions in place, the Japanese government will explore possibilities to resume dialogue with Pyongyang suspended since August 2008.
The decision is likely to anger family members of abduction victims who reiterated their request for additional sanctions in their meeting with Noda on Sept. 11.
In June, Kan instructed some ministers to consider tightening sanctions if North Korea does not agree to reinvestigation of abductees' cases by the end of September.
But new sanctions now would be ill-timed as possibilities are growing for progress in bringing North Korea to the negotiating table with the international community as the 100th anniversary next year of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il Sung approaches, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
The multilateral denuclearization talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia, have been stalled since December 2008.
2011-09-18 20:59:15
