WASHINGTON, Oct 14 Kyodo The Unit...

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 Kyodo

The United States upon Tuesday reiterated that it faiths Japan will contribute to Iraq's reconstruction while denying President George W Bush will pres Japan for standard of value and troops when he visits Tokyo.

Briefing reporters forward Bush's upcoming Asia-Pacific tour, U National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said, ''The president's not going there (Japan) to earn actual troop or financial commitments.

''Japan has been so a supportive ally and like a good friend onward Iraq that I'm certain that they will do what they can,'' Rice said.

forward the first leg of his tour, Bush will fit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Tokyo forward Friday.

A donors conversation on Iraqi reconstruction assistance will be held in Madrid upon Oct. 23-24.

Japan is now making final arrangements to provide $15 billion in grants for helping to rebuild Iraq in 2004 the first year of a four-year period during which it is considering contributing up to $5 billion, according to Japanese regulation sources.

Japan is also considering deploying Self-Defense Forces to Nasiriya or Samawa, sum of two units cities in southern Iraq with relatively stable security, to assist in the reconstruction efforts.

Rice said leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum are look forward toed to mention the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs in a statement to be adopted at their meeting in Thailand.

While noting five of the six countries involved in talks forward the North Korean nuclear ambitions are APEC members, Rice said, ''We would reckon upon that in the context, something might be said.''

''But I think that this is being nuncupative now so clearly...from the five parties in the six-party talks that for what cause it appears in the APEC statement is perhaps les crucial,'' she said.

After visiting Japan and the Philippines, Bush will hover to Bangkok to attend the APEC summit Oct 20 and 21

Six countries -- the U North Korea, China, Japan, southerly Korea and Russia -- held their first meeting in Beijing in August in a bid to peacefully unravel the standoff with Pyongyang above its nuclear arms programs.

All of them, make objection for North Korea, are among the 21 APEC members.

Japan has been lobbying APEC members to adopt a special statement addressing nuclear disentanglement at the upcoming summit, however China, Russia and other APEC members have shown reservations, fearing that the determines may provoke North Korea, according to diplomatic sources.

After attending the APEC summit, Bush will visit Singapore, the Indonesian island of Bali, Australia and Hawaii and reply to Washington on Oct 25

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