BANGKOK, Oct 19 Kyodo Japanese Pr...

BANGKOK, Oct 19 Kyodo

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sunday he will call in succession fellow Pacific Rim leaders for support in addressing issues concerning North Korea and efforts to advance World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations at a summit starting Monday.

Koizumi, who spoke upon a government jet heading for Bangkok to attend the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, also voiced chance of a favorable result for good results from bilateral talks with Chinese and Russian leaders in succession the sidelines of the two-day summit.

''I want to ask for understanding and cooperation from the other (members) at the APEC meeting to decipher the (North Korean) abduction issue and nuclear issue comprehensively,'' Koizumi said.

He was referring to Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese nationals in the late 1970 and early 1980 a main obstacle to normalizing ties between the sum of two units countries, and the North's nuclear arms exhibition program.

China's further cooperation to seat the North Korean issues end six-nation talks will be indispensable, Koizumi said. China landlorded the first round of the six-nation talks, also involving the United States, North and southerly Korea, Japan and Russia, in August in Beijing.

Koizumi said it is ''desirable for make knowned countries and developing commons to make efforts for each other'' to reach agreements during coming events WTO talks after a collapse of its negotiation in Cancun, Mexico, in September.

The APEC leaders ''should reaffirm the need'' to advance WTO talks at the upcoming summit, Koizumi said.

Before meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao forward Monday in Bangkok, Koizumi said it is ''good'' for the sum of two units leaders to exchange visits to each other's countries when convenient.

The premier, who also plans to confront with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said it is greatest in quantity important for Tokyo to sign a peace treaty with Moscow and make clear the issue of Russian-held islands claimed by dint of Japan off Hokkaido.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group