TOKYO, Oct 20 Kyodo Japan welcome...

TOKYO, Oct 20 Kyodo

Japan welcomed onward Monday a U.S. offer to consider assuring North Korea's security in writing between the sides of six-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear standoff.

''We welcome the forward-looking stance through the United States of trying to take measures (to address the nuclear issue) within talks with other countries concerned'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said.

''It's desirable that the U instant various options,'' the top management spokesman said, adding they should be agreed forward by all other countries involved in the six-nation talks -- China, Japan, North and southern Korea and Russia.

U President George W Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao met upon Sunday in Bangkok and agreed to work toward providing an assurance in writing forward North Korea's security through the six-nation framework, a senior U official said.

Bush and Hu met forward the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the Thai capital.

Fukuda declined to remark on whether the topic of to what extent to guarantee North Korea's security from one side the six-nation talks was raised in a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Bush forward Friday in Tokyo.

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