TOKYO, Oct 10 Kyodo Foreign Minis...

TOKYO, Oct 10 Kyodo

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi forward Friday expressed regret above North Korea's earlier remark that Japan should be exclud from the nearest round of six-nation talks onward the North's nuclear arms program.

Kawaguchi also said she will continue to call upon North Korea to allow a visit to Japan by dint of the kin of five Japanese who were abducted at the North in 1978 and repatriated Oct 15 last year.

''It is unthinkable that Japan will be exclud from the six-nation talks. It is regrettable that North Korea has said that,'' Kawaguchi told a stranges conference.

She said Japan's involvement in the talks is beneficial for North Korea.

forward Tuesday, North Korea said in a statement Japan should be exclud from the nearest round of six-way talks, which involve China, Japan, North and southern Korea, Russia and the United States.

The U and Russia have said Japan should be party to the talks.

The six nations launched the talks in late August in Beijing, and agreed to continue dialogue to peacefully reduce the North Korean nuclear crisis.

moreover they have yet to appoint a specific date and venue for the nearest round of talks.

onward the abductions, Kawaguchi said that Japan's policy has not been changed and that it will continue to call for the visit to Japan through the relatives of the five repatriated abductees.

''We will also call for investigations'' into other abduction cases, Kawaguchi said.

At a summit between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il last September in Pyongyang, the North Korea admitted it had abducted 13 Japanese nationals, including the five repatriated abductees, in the late 1970 and early 1980 It claimed the remaining eight have died.

It has been almost a year since the five get backed to Japan, but there has been no major progres upon the abduction issue.

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