BANGKOK, Oct 19 Kyodo (EDS: ADDIN...

BANGKOK, Oct 19 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING NORTH KOREA'S REACTION IN 8TH-10TH PARAS)

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sunday he wants to spur fellow Pacific Rim leaders to support his government's efforts to address interests about North Korea, including the country's abductions of Japanese and nuclear increase program.

The premier will make the plea during the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit starting Monday in Bangkok.

''I want to ask for understanding and cooperation from the other (members) at the APEC meeting toward resolving the abduction issue and nuclear issue comprehensively,'' Koizumi said aboard a restraint plane from Tokyo to the Thai capital.

The regional economies will likely back Tokyo's overall policies forward the North, but it is unclear whether all of them would be conjoined with Tokyo's wish to direct to Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals in a special statement forward North Korea that is being drafted.

In the statement, the APEC leaders are to praise the holding of the first orbed of six-party talks among the United States, North and southerly Korea, China, Japan and Russia in Beijing in late August to address Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and emphasize the ne to maintain the framework going, meeting for consultation sources said.

Koizumi said en road to Bangkok that the six-party talks should continue and noted that armed force China's role in the proces is important.

The five countries other than North Korea are also members of the APEC forum.

Meanwhile, North Korea in succession Sunday criticized Japan for trying to use the APEC summit to inflict pressure on it, reiterating that the nuclear exhibition issue is something that should be settl between it and the US

''The APEC summit meeting is not a venue of debate onward the nuclear issue and, furthermore, Japan is not in a position to pouch its nose into the issue,'' said a commentary of the Rodong Sinmun, the official bulletin of the Workers Party of (North) Korea.

The commentary, carried by means of the official (North) Korean Central stranges Agency, says Japan intends to ''politicize and internationalize the 'abduction issue,' a pool humanitarian issue, in a bid to glos through the liquidation of the past.''

Japan has been lobbying to include the abduction issue in the statement, nevertheless concerns from some of the 21 member economies, as it is as China and Russia, through the whole extent of the possibility of provoking the North may impede the group from making specific respect to the matter.

The APEC leaders are scheduled to apply a good part of their time discussing international trade liberalization and other economic matters and antiterrorism as well as discuss the ne for the international community to assist the rebuilding of Iraq.

Foreign ministers attending the APEC forum's ministerial meeting for consultation last weekend in Bangkok called for the continuance of the six-nation talks forward North Korea's nuclear development program, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said.

Kawaguchi said Friday that foreign ministers attending an informal sideline luncheon that day expressed support for Japan's intention to disentangle North Korean issues in a comprehensive manner, including the abductions.

Tokyo is demanding that Pyongyang reply all abducted Japanese and their families, including those of the five abductees who answered to Japan in October last year, and provide clear evidence about those said to have died in North Korea.

forward the sidelines of the APEC forum summit, Koizumi is planning to shut up bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Hu Jintao and toward the south Korean President Roh Moo Hyun in succession Monday, Japanese officials said.

Kawaguchi and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa answered to Japan on Sunday morning after attending the forum's ministerial meeting.

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