TOKYO, Oct 31 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING ...

TOKYO, Oct 31 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING INFO AT 6-7TH 10TH PARAS)

Japan onward Friday again welcomed a reported agreement between China and North Korea to take back six-nation talks to resolve the standoff from one side of to the other Pyongyang's nuclear arms program, and praised China's efforts to that end

''We have to improve the atmosphere in the same manner that the next round of six-nation talks can be held (soon)'' Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said in Yokohama.

Pyongyang is beginning to be influenced by dint of Beijing's efforts to prove by experiment to persuade it to recommence the talks, that include China, the United States, toward the south Korea, Russia and Japan, as well as incites by the five countries, Koizumi said.

The North is becoming ''more and more flexible'' and is softening its stance of maintaining its original claim and allowing no compromise, Koizumi said.

The agreement was reportedly reached Thursday by means of top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.

Tokyo now plans to prepare itself for the talks in consequence of meetings in November with Washington, Seoul and Beijing, control officials said.

Senior officials from Japan, the U and toward the south Korea are expected to discuss details of written security guarantees for North Korea and whether to accept the North's call for a ''simultaneous'' solution of one as well as the other its own demands and those of the US

The five countries other than North Korea ne to coordinate opinion forward the assurances which U.S. President George W Bush earlier this month indicated his willingness to give North Korea through the six-way framework if Pyongyang abandons its nuclear weapons program, Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba said in Tokyo.

''There has been no firm consensus,'' Ishiba said. ''It is not desirable to have different aims.''

Japan, meanwhile, rely upons China to provide it with detailed briefings upon the Wu-Kim talks when Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo visits Japan in mid-November, and ask the entertainer nation to allow it again address the North Korean abductions of Japanese in the 1970 and 1980 in the nearest round.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda separately said, ''Although we do not know details about the Chinese delegation's visit to Pyongyang, we welcome the result which was produced through discussion to positively consider the six-nation talks.''

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said she basically appreciates the result

The six nations held their first meeting in Beijing in August to essay to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, in which they agreed to continue dialogue nevertheless failed to set a date and venue for a next to the first round of talks.

Fukuda also said he appreciates China's efforts from one side of to the other the negotiations with North Korea. Kawaguchi said China has made substantial contributions.

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