ID :
26489
Sat, 10/25/2008 - 13:56
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/26489
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Lee, Aso agree to resume shuttle summit diplomacy
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed on Friday to cooperate more closely to combat the global financial crisis and accelerate the denuclearization of North Korea during their first summit talks in Beijing, Lee's spokesman said.
Lee and Aso also agreed to pursue a "mature partnership" between South Korea and
Japan and resume bilateral shuttle summit diplomacy, long suspended following the
outbreak of bilateral territorial and historical conflicts earlier this year,
said presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan.
Under the agreement to resume shuttle diplomacy, Aso agreed to visit Seoul in the
immediate future, possibly early next year, he noted.
In addition, Lee and Aso agreed to hold the first tripartite summit talks
involving China in the Japanese city of Fukuoka in the middle of December to
discuss closer policy coordination on the global financial crisis, climate change
and energy issues, said the spokesman.
"The Chinese side has already consented to the holding of the first tripartite
summit with South Korea and Japan in the middle of December. Notably, Fukuoka,
the venue of the three-way summit, is Aso's hometown," said spokesman Lee.
The first tripartite summit of South Korea, China and Japan was to take place in
September, but was put on hold due to a leadership change in Tokyo and Japan's
provocative claim to South Korean islets of Dokdo.
"Lee and Aso also exchanged views on North Korean nuclear problem and agreed to
strengthen a tripartite policy coordination with the U.S.," said the spokesman.
"The two leaders shared the view that Seoul and Tokyo should speed up bilateral
cooperation to materialize the US$80 billion Asian monetary fund, which was
agreed upon during their meeting with leaders of China and 10 Southeast Asian
countries on Friday morning," he said.
Both Lee and Aso are in the Chinese capital to attend the seventh summit of the
Asia-Europe Meeting, which was to kick off here Friday evening.
Since his inauguration in February, Lee met with Aso's predecessor, Yasuo Fukuda,
three times by early July, but the two countries' relations have since chilled
due to Japan's provocative claim to Dokdo.
Lee and Aso also agreed to pursue a "mature partnership" between South Korea and
Japan and resume bilateral shuttle summit diplomacy, long suspended following the
outbreak of bilateral territorial and historical conflicts earlier this year,
said presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan.
Under the agreement to resume shuttle diplomacy, Aso agreed to visit Seoul in the
immediate future, possibly early next year, he noted.
In addition, Lee and Aso agreed to hold the first tripartite summit talks
involving China in the Japanese city of Fukuoka in the middle of December to
discuss closer policy coordination on the global financial crisis, climate change
and energy issues, said the spokesman.
"The Chinese side has already consented to the holding of the first tripartite
summit with South Korea and Japan in the middle of December. Notably, Fukuoka,
the venue of the three-way summit, is Aso's hometown," said spokesman Lee.
The first tripartite summit of South Korea, China and Japan was to take place in
September, but was put on hold due to a leadership change in Tokyo and Japan's
provocative claim to South Korean islets of Dokdo.
"Lee and Aso also exchanged views on North Korean nuclear problem and agreed to
strengthen a tripartite policy coordination with the U.S.," said the spokesman.
"The two leaders shared the view that Seoul and Tokyo should speed up bilateral
cooperation to materialize the US$80 billion Asian monetary fund, which was
agreed upon during their meeting with leaders of China and 10 Southeast Asian
countries on Friday morning," he said.
Both Lee and Aso are in the Chinese capital to attend the seventh summit of the
Asia-Europe Meeting, which was to kick off here Friday evening.
Since his inauguration in February, Lee met with Aso's predecessor, Yasuo Fukuda,
three times by early July, but the two countries' relations have since chilled
due to Japan's provocative claim to Dokdo.
