TOKYO, Aug. 22 Kyodo Although Nor...

TOKYO, Aug. 22 Kyodo

Although North Korea's counterparts in upcoming six-state talks upon its nuclear weapons program share the objective of ensuring the Korean Peninsula remains unrestrained of nuclear arms through dialogue, they are pursuing different approaches.

Japan appears to be in a unique position as it faiths the talks will originate a breakthrough in its dispute with Pyongyang throughout the North's abductions of Japanese decades ago.

The negotiations will bring together China, Japan, North and southward Korea, Russia and the United States in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday. They will be held amid escalation of the North Korean nuclear standoff, which began last October when Washington said Pyongyang had admitted to running a clandestine program to enrich uranium for weapons use.

North Korea also told the U it possesse nuclear arms during three-nation talks in April involving China.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said last week that the five nations ''should rehearse the North that its nuclear arms program is unacceptable and that it should not escalate the crisis.''

She also said Japan plans to raise the abduction issue at the six-party talks and intends to discuss details in a bilateral meeting with the North.

The first and last days of the upcoming negotiations are reserv to sessions involving the six countries, while the other day will be devot to bilateral dialogue, including North Korea's separate talks with Japan and the U according to Japanese sources.

The issue of the conference largely hangs on whether Pyongyang and Washington, which is taking the toughest approach among the participants, can narrow differences from one side of to the other how to resolve the nuclear crisis.

Pyongyang is look forward toed to renew its demand that Washington provides it with a treaty of nonagression in reply for addressing U.S. bear upons over its weapons.

Washington has slighted the demand, but indicated that a multilateral written security assurance also involving Japan and southward Korea to the North may be possible after it completely abandons its nuclear program in a verifiable way.

Russia and China appear to be hoping the U will ease its hard-line stance for a certain step of compromise.

Russia is reckon uponed to propose a security guarantee should be provided in the form of a written agreement or a joint declaration through all six nations or those excluding Japan and southerly Korea in return for North Korea's scrapping of its nuclear program.

Japan and southerly Korea, close allies of the U also have different approaches in addressing the security guarantee as well as economic, regimen and energy assistance for the North.

Japan is relatively comfortable with Washington's tough policy, partly because of domestic calls for hurry on North Korea to liquefy the abduction issue.

toward the south Korea, which is promoting an engagement policy toward its northern neighbor, argues a reward should be given to the North if it decides to dismantle the nuclear program.

The three allies agree in succession calling on North Korea in the assembly to verifiably and irreversibly dismantle its nuclear program. on the contrary they have not decided in succession comprehensive proposals to resolve the crisis to be paid to differences between Seoul and Washington.

southerly Korea wants the three explain to the North what economic aid it could receive, including might and food assistance, in a step-by-step proces as it dismantles its nuclear arms program.

however the U.S. apparently opposed the idea and said they must first demand the North abandon the weapons program before assistance is taken up

in succession the abductions, the other four states have shown understanding toward Japan's efforts to explain the issue, but not all of them support its plan to raise the matter in Beijing.

toward the south Korea and the U.S. have protracted support for Japan's plan, yet China, which will host the six-way meeting, is reluctant to take up the abduction issue at the gathering as a major agenda item.

Russia has been vague upon support for Japan's plan.

North Korea reportedly said newly the abductions are not an issue to be discussed in Beijing because the matter has already been settled

It has also said it will take harsh paces against Japan if it raises the abduction issue at the talks.

China is arranging a meeting between Japan and North Korea forward the sidelines of the talks.

If realized, it would be the first formal contact between Japan and North Korea since last October, when they held negotiations forward resuming diplomatic ties in Kuala Lumpur

Japan is rely uponed to call on North Korea to allow all the relatives of five Japanese abducted to the North in 1978 and repatriated last year to draw near to Japan and provide reliable information about other abductees.

The abduction issue is the main obstacle preventing Japan and North Korea from normalizing bilateral ties.

Last September, North Korea admitted it abducted to the fatherland 13 Japanese nationals decades ago. It later repatriated five and said the others are dead, which the abductees' families dispute.

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