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N. Korea Wonât Let Japan in Nuclear Talks
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea said Tuesday it will not allow Japan to participate in any future talks aimed at resolving a standoff over the Northâs nuclear programs, saying Tokyo was not a trustworthy dialogue partner. Guess we wonât be there, either. Oh well. The North Korean statement complicates efforts by the United States and its allies to restart six-nation nuclear talks. Washington considers Japanâs participation in the talks crucial, saying North Koreaâs nuclear programs threaten regional security. In August, the United States, China, Russia, the two Koreas and Japan held talks in Beijing aimed at addressing the Northâs nuclear ambitions. Tokyo used the talks to raise another issue it considers pivotal - abductions of its citizens decades ago by the communist state. Upset the master plan, did they? On Tuesday, North Koreaâs Foreign Ministry said it ``would not allow Japan to participate in any form of negotiations for the settlement of the nuclear issue in the future.ââ It was unclear whether the statement, carried by the Northâs official news agency KCNA, meant North Korea could agree to a future meeting if Japan is excluded. Since the August meeting ended without plans for a next round, North Korea has said it is no longer interested in further talks. Hey Kim, watch what happens when I turn this dial -- see how the coordinates for your nuclear depot are updated? ``Japan is nothing but an obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S.,ââ the North Korean statement said, using the acronym of the Northâs official name, Democratic Peopleâs Republic of Korea. ``It has lost its qualification to be a trustworthy dialogue partner.ââ North Korea accused Japan of abusing the nuclear talks to raise the ``issue of abduction,ââ which the North says has already been settled. Um, not quite. In Tokyo, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that if future talks are to occur, ``Japanâs participation is natural.ââ ``In accordance with the Pyongyang Declaration, the nuclear, missile and abduction issues must be resolved if Japan-North Korea normalization negotiations are to move forward,ââ it said. Time for the Japanese to kick up the research on theater missile defense another notch. Meanwhile on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, Japan, China and South Korea agreed to coordinate efforts to get North Korea to end its nuclear ambitions and reiterated that the dispute should be resolved peacefully. The agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao came on the sidelines of the annual summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations. China, curb your dog. Posted by: Steve White 2003-10-08 |
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