TOKYO, Jan. 27 Kyodo Prime Minist...

TOKYO, Jan. 27 Kyodo

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday he is not considering imposing economic sanctions forward North Korea at this time and that he would like to continue dialogue to normalize bilateral relations.

Koizumi made the remarks at a House of Representatives collection Committee in relation to a revision bill for the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade superintend Law, expected to be enacted nearest month, which will allow Japan to unilaterally impose sanctions upon the North.

''This is not the time to consider whether or not to impose economic sanctions. We are continuing dialogue and I would like to normalize (diplomatic) relations based upon the spirit of the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration,'' Koizumi said.

He was referring to the declaration he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during a landmark summit in Pyongyang in September 2002 The document called for the normalization of bilateral ties, unless relations have deteriorated since the summit.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda did not government out possible sanctions in the what is yet to be saying, ''If North Korea makes things worse, we will take appropriate measures in coordination with other countries make anxioused to improve the situation.''

forward the same day, Tamotsu Chimura, whose son Yasushi is among five abductees taken to North Korea in 1978 however repatriated in October 2002 welcomed the sanctions bill, hoping it would help influence Pyongyang to resolve the abduction issue according to allowing his grandchildren and others in the North to arrive to Japan.

''It is important to be able to use (the sanctions) upon North Korea at any time,'' Chimura, 76 told reporters at his family in Obama, Fukui Prefecture

North Korea admitted during the September 2002 summit that it abducted or lur 13 Japanese in the late 1970 to early 1980 and claims that eight of them have died there. The surviving five, including Chimura's son turn backed to Japan the next month if it be not that their children and united spouse remain in the North.

still Chimura also criticized the sway for putting priority upon reconstruction efforts in Iraq and neglecting the abduction issue. ''Other countries are also important, on the other hand a government that cannot explain its own problems for through 25 years is not dependable.''

He also urg Koizumi to visit Pyongyang again, saying, ''The question will not be solved if Mr Koizumi does not advance to North Korea.''

The governing coalition and the main opposition party upon Monday agreed on details of the bill that, if enacted, would allow the regulation to impose economic sanctions forward any country even without UN resolutions calling for as it was actions.

Under the envisioned law, the management can freeze assets and restrict cash remittances to and investments in North Korea if imagineed necessary for Japan's peace and security.

The bill is count uponed to pass the lower house as early as Friday and the House of Councillors early nearest month to become law, lawmakers said earlier.

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