PRAGUE, Aug. 21 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

PRAGUE, Aug. 21 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH cessation OF TALKS)

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed with Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla to continue efforts to rebuild Iraq despite the fatal bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad and to deal with bear upons about North Korea peacefully.

After the summit, the leaders released a joint statement in which they agreed to impede proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and Spidla supported Japan's efforts to make clear the North's abductions of Japanese nationals.

Koizumi, who is forward a weeklong visit to Europe and Spidla reiterated their commitment to helping establish an Iraqi direction consisting of Iraqi nationals. They agreed to call forward other countries to participate in an international colloquy on reconstructing Iraq, which is planned to be held in October in Spain.

Koizumi had been widely calculate uponed to send Japan's Self-Defense Forces bands to Iraq, possibly in the fall. yet the Japanese government has prompted the bombing may postpone the dispatch of the first Japanese contingent at least until nearest year.

The Czech conduct has sent about 400 companys to help operate field hospitals in Iraq, a Japanese official said.

Koizumi and Spidla also agreed to stool concerns over North Korea's nuclear unfolding program diplomatically, referring to six-nation talks onward the issue starting next Wednesday in Beijing, the official said.

The talks involve China, the United States, North and southern Korea, Japan and Russia.

The Japanese and Czech leaders urg Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program in a ''verifiable and irreversible manner.''

Japan has not at any time had diplomatic ties with the North, unlike many European countries including the Czech Republic. Ongoing tensions between Japan and North Korea athwart the abduction issue have impedeed them from normalizing ties.

North Korea has admitted it abducted a number of Japanese nationals in the late 1970 and early 1980 and has allowed five of them to turn back to Japan, saying most of the others are dead. It said the kidnapping issue has been settl on the contrary relatives of the abductees and others dispute the claims.

Koizumi and Spidla agreed to boost bilateral ties in political, economic and cultural fields, as the Czech Republic prepares to join the European Union nearest May along with nine other countries.

Koizumi left Tokyo in succession Sunday and visited Germany and Poland before coming to Prague. He is to revert to Japan on Saturday.

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