ID :
43250
Fri, 01/30/2009 - 06:50
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/43250
The shortlink copeid
Obama agrees with Aso to cooperate closely in 6-party talks: White House By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has agreed to cooperate closely with Japan toward North Korea's denuclearization through the six-party talks, the White House said Thursday.
The agreement was made in a telephone conversation Obama had with Japanese Prime
Minister Taro Aso late Wednesday, spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"The two leaders discussed regional issues, including North Korea, and agreed to
work closely through the six-party talks process," the statement said, describing
a "substantive and wide-ranging telephone discussion" with Aso.
Obama and Aso also "affirmed the need for close cooperation" in dealing with the
ongoing global economic crisis and consolidation of the U.S.-Japan alliance, the
statement said.
Japan has been kind of an obstacle in the multilateral negotiations on ending
North Korea's nuclear ambitions as Tokyo would not carry out its portion of
obligations, including provision of energy aid to North Korea as part of a
six-party deal, citing what it calls North Korea's failure to address abductions
of Japanese citizens decades ago.
North Korea has called for Japan's ouster from the talks involving the two
Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
North Korea has returned five of 13 Japanese citizens it had kidnapped in the
1970s and 80s for training of North Korean agents in Japanese language and
culture, and said the rest are dead.
Japan insists North Korea has more Japanese abductees still alive.
The latest round of the six-party talks stalled again last month as the North
would not agree to a verification regime on its nuclear facilities, insisting it
will agree to the verification protocol in the third and last phase of the
nuclear deal.
The talks are in its second phase in which North Korea is supposed to disable its
nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, in return for 1 million tons
of heavy fuel oil or the equivalent.
The third phase calls for the North to dismantle its nuclear facilities and
programs in exchange for a massive economic aid and diplomatic recognition by
Washington and Tokyo.
Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have said in recent days that
they will continue the six-party talks while seeking more direct engagement with
the reclusive, nuclear-armed communist state.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
The agreement was made in a telephone conversation Obama had with Japanese Prime
Minister Taro Aso late Wednesday, spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"The two leaders discussed regional issues, including North Korea, and agreed to
work closely through the six-party talks process," the statement said, describing
a "substantive and wide-ranging telephone discussion" with Aso.
Obama and Aso also "affirmed the need for close cooperation" in dealing with the
ongoing global economic crisis and consolidation of the U.S.-Japan alliance, the
statement said.
Japan has been kind of an obstacle in the multilateral negotiations on ending
North Korea's nuclear ambitions as Tokyo would not carry out its portion of
obligations, including provision of energy aid to North Korea as part of a
six-party deal, citing what it calls North Korea's failure to address abductions
of Japanese citizens decades ago.
North Korea has called for Japan's ouster from the talks involving the two
Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
North Korea has returned five of 13 Japanese citizens it had kidnapped in the
1970s and 80s for training of North Korean agents in Japanese language and
culture, and said the rest are dead.
Japan insists North Korea has more Japanese abductees still alive.
The latest round of the six-party talks stalled again last month as the North
would not agree to a verification regime on its nuclear facilities, insisting it
will agree to the verification protocol in the third and last phase of the
nuclear deal.
The talks are in its second phase in which North Korea is supposed to disable its
nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, in return for 1 million tons
of heavy fuel oil or the equivalent.
The third phase calls for the North to dismantle its nuclear facilities and
programs in exchange for a massive economic aid and diplomatic recognition by
Washington and Tokyo.
Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have said in recent days that
they will continue the six-party talks while seeking more direct engagement with
the reclusive, nuclear-armed communist state.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
