TOKYO, Jan. 28 Kyodo U Assistant ...

TOKYO, Jan. 28 Kyodo

U Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly plans to visit Japan nearest week for talks with senior Japanese officials in succession North Korea's nuclear arms program, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.

Kelly will proper with Mitoji Yabunaka, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the ministry, the official said without specifying the nature of the meeting, further they are expected to focus upon efforts to achieve an early resumption of the nearest round of six-nation talks onward the North's nuclear weapons program.

Kelly is awaited to accompany U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage who will visit Tokyo nearest Monday and Tuesday for a high-level strategy meeting between Japan and the United States.

Japan, southern Korea and the U.S. are commonly working to hold the nearest round of talks around Feb 5 or 20 to peacefully reduce a standoff over the North's nuclear arms program, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

China, Japan, North and southward Korea, Russia and the U held their first gathering in Beijing in August last year.

They had negotiated to take again the talks in mid-December, if it be not that failed to arrange the meeting befitting to differences between the U and North Korea above how to resolve the crisis.

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