U.S. Asking Non-6-Party Nations to Give Fuel Aid to N. Korea

Washington, Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)--The United States is asking
countries that are not part of the six-party process for denuclearizing
North Korea to take over Japan's part in a planned fuel oil assistance to
the reclusive communist nation, top U.S. six-way negotiator Christopher Hill
said Tuesday.
Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific
affairs, unveiled the move during talks with his Japanese counterpart,
Akitaka Saiki, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian
Affairs Bureau.
Japan has been insisting that it will not take part in the energy
aid program unless progress is made toward resolving the issue of North
Korean abductions of Japanese citizens.
Hill and Saiki agreed on the need to hold a six-party meeting as
soon as possible in order to document procedures already agreed on by
Washington and Pyongyang to verify North Korean-declared nuclear programs
and activities.
Saiki strongly urged the United States to give further support for
Japan's efforts to make visible progress in its relations with North Korea.
After the talks with Hill, Saiki told reporters that the United
States is trying hard to realize the fuel oil assistance to North Korea.
Japan is not in a position to oppose participation in the aid
program by countries outside the six-party process, which involves China,
Japan, Russia, the United States and North and South Koreas, Saiki added.