Aso, Merkel agree to cooperate over U.N. resolution on N. Korea+

TOKYO, June 22 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed
Monday to cooperate so that a new sanctions resolution adopted by the U.N.
Security Council against North Korea can be effectively implemented, Japanese
Foreign Ministry officials said.
In telephone conversations, Aso told Merkel that Japan wants to cooperate with
Germany to have North Korea take the global society's message seriously and
comply with the resolution, the officials said.
Merkel said Germany welcomes the resolution, which includes additional
sanctions, and that the country will make efforts to make the resolution an
effective one, adding that Berlin hopes to continue talks on the issue at a
Group of Eight summit in Italy next month.
The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution to impose additional sanctions
on North Korea earlier this month following its nuclear test in May.
The two leaders also discussed climate change and agreed to closely cooperate
in negotiations for a new carbon-capping framework to succeed the Kyoto
Protocol, which expires in 2012, the ministry officials said.
Aso and Merkel shared the view that it is important for major emitters such as
the United States, China and India to participate in the new framework.
In their talks, Aso offered detailed explanations about Japan's recently
announced medium-term emissions reduction target, namely a reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.
While Aso stressed that Japan's target goes beyond reduction targets of Europe
and the United States from the 2005 levels, Merkel said Japan's target is a
positive step and that it is good for Japan to impose an obligation on itself.
But she added that there are still discussions on whether the targets for 2020
of the world as a whole are sufficient to achieve what the world would like to
achieve in 2050, the officials said.
==Kyodo