ID :
9994
Sat, 06/14/2008 - 20:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/9994
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Japan, China, S. Korea strengthen ties, efforts on N. Korea
TOKYO, June 14 (Kyodo) - Japan, China and South Korea agreed in foreign ministerial talks Saturday to further cooperation on the North Korean nuclear and abduction issues, and to set a date in September for a trilateral summit in Japan, Japanese Foreign
Minister Masahiko Komura said.
Komura and his counterparts -- China's Yang Jiechi and South Korea's Yu Myung Hwan -- also reconfirmed in Tokyo the need to strengthen joint efforts toward the creation of an effective post-2012 emissions cut framework to address climate change.
The envisioned summit for leaders of the three nations in September would be the first to be held independently of regional and international conferences, reflecting significantly improved ties among the neighbors who account for 70 percent of the economic output of the East Asia region, measured by gross domestic product.
Yang and Yu conveyed their condolences to Japan for the fatal earthquake that struck northeastern Japan on Saturday morning, while Yu and Komura expressed their sympathy to China for the recent quake in Sichuan Province.
The ministers agreed to take this opportunity to further promote trilateral cooperation on disaster prevention, including drawing up concrete measures to do so, Komura said in a joint news conference after the talks.
Ahead of the three-way meeting, Komura met one-on-one with Yu for a 90-minute lunch, during which he briefed the South Korean foreign affairs and trade minister on talks between Japan and North Korea earlier this week, including Pyongyang's promise to reinvestigate past abductions of Japanese nationals.
Yu reassured Komura that Seoul will continue to support Tokyo's efforts and the ministers agreed to further cooperation at the six-party nuclear talks, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
As a reflection of the ''new era'' of Japan-South Korea relations, the two also agreed to establish at an early date a senior working-level committee to discuss multilateral issues, such as United Nations reform and the nations' roles in international organizations, the Foreign Ministry official said in briefing reporters.
In addition, Komura and Yu reaffirmed efforts on both sides toward the early resumption of stalled negotiations for a free trade agreement, including realizing an already agreed working-level preparatory meeting this month.
Komura also met separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang for an hour-long session, during which they agreed to speed up negotiations to settle a dispute over gas exploration rights in the East China Sea and to resume bilateral human rights dialogue in mid-July after an eight-year hiatus.
Yang also officially conveyed to Komura that Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend an outreach session at the July 7-9 Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido, a Japanese official said.
At the trilateral talks, the ministers also exchanged opinions on other regional and global issues including energy, African development, U.N. reform and cooperation in East Asia.
The meeting of the three ministers in Tokyo came on the heels of various North Korea-related events this week, including the resumption of formal talks between Japan and North Korea in Beijing and working-level six-party talks on already agreed energy aid for Pyongyang in the truce village of Panmunjeom.
The three countries are members of the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea, along with Russia and the United States.
There is rising speculation that the six-way talks involving chief delegates will resume as early as by the end of this month, in light of recent developments at the Japan-North Korea talks and positive moves toward Pyongyang's long overdue declaration of its nuclear weapons and programs.
This will pave the way for an envisioned meeting of foreign ministers from the six countries.
It is the second time that the neighbors have held such trilateral talks outside of the traditional setting of meeting on the sidelines of international conferences.
The ministers agreed Saturday that next year's meeting will be hosted by China, Komura said.
In January last year, Seoul proposed holding the annual foreign ministerial talks, rotating the venue among the three neighbors each year. The first meeting was held on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju in June last year.
Minister Masahiko Komura said.
Komura and his counterparts -- China's Yang Jiechi and South Korea's Yu Myung Hwan -- also reconfirmed in Tokyo the need to strengthen joint efforts toward the creation of an effective post-2012 emissions cut framework to address climate change.
The envisioned summit for leaders of the three nations in September would be the first to be held independently of regional and international conferences, reflecting significantly improved ties among the neighbors who account for 70 percent of the economic output of the East Asia region, measured by gross domestic product.
Yang and Yu conveyed their condolences to Japan for the fatal earthquake that struck northeastern Japan on Saturday morning, while Yu and Komura expressed their sympathy to China for the recent quake in Sichuan Province.
The ministers agreed to take this opportunity to further promote trilateral cooperation on disaster prevention, including drawing up concrete measures to do so, Komura said in a joint news conference after the talks.
Ahead of the three-way meeting, Komura met one-on-one with Yu for a 90-minute lunch, during which he briefed the South Korean foreign affairs and trade minister on talks between Japan and North Korea earlier this week, including Pyongyang's promise to reinvestigate past abductions of Japanese nationals.
Yu reassured Komura that Seoul will continue to support Tokyo's efforts and the ministers agreed to further cooperation at the six-party nuclear talks, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
As a reflection of the ''new era'' of Japan-South Korea relations, the two also agreed to establish at an early date a senior working-level committee to discuss multilateral issues, such as United Nations reform and the nations' roles in international organizations, the Foreign Ministry official said in briefing reporters.
In addition, Komura and Yu reaffirmed efforts on both sides toward the early resumption of stalled negotiations for a free trade agreement, including realizing an already agreed working-level preparatory meeting this month.
Komura also met separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang for an hour-long session, during which they agreed to speed up negotiations to settle a dispute over gas exploration rights in the East China Sea and to resume bilateral human rights dialogue in mid-July after an eight-year hiatus.
Yang also officially conveyed to Komura that Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend an outreach session at the July 7-9 Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido, a Japanese official said.
At the trilateral talks, the ministers also exchanged opinions on other regional and global issues including energy, African development, U.N. reform and cooperation in East Asia.
The meeting of the three ministers in Tokyo came on the heels of various North Korea-related events this week, including the resumption of formal talks between Japan and North Korea in Beijing and working-level six-party talks on already agreed energy aid for Pyongyang in the truce village of Panmunjeom.
The three countries are members of the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea, along with Russia and the United States.
There is rising speculation that the six-way talks involving chief delegates will resume as early as by the end of this month, in light of recent developments at the Japan-North Korea talks and positive moves toward Pyongyang's long overdue declaration of its nuclear weapons and programs.
This will pave the way for an envisioned meeting of foreign ministers from the six countries.
It is the second time that the neighbors have held such trilateral talks outside of the traditional setting of meeting on the sidelines of international conferences.
The ministers agreed Saturday that next year's meeting will be hosted by China, Komura said.
In January last year, Seoul proposed holding the annual foreign ministerial talks, rotating the venue among the three neighbors each year. The first meeting was held on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju in June last year.
