PHNOM PENH Aug. 16 Kyodo Japan up...

PHNOM PENH Aug. 16 Kyodo

Japan upon Saturday sought the support and cooperation of Cambodia and other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) toward resolving the issue of North Korea's nuclear progress to maturity program, Japanese officials said.

Taku Yamasaki, secretary general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made the petition during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the premier's official residence in the capital Phnom Penh

Hun Sen answered with an indication of giving so cooperation, saying that the nuclear issue is a destabilizing component part to the East Asian region, the officials said.

In the meeting, Yamasaki entreatyed that ASEAN help increase international support for resolving the North Korea-related nuclear, missile and abduction issues, as well as avow to North Korea over the matters, they said.

Hun Sen was quot as saying that North Korea has not changed its military-first policy and that the nuclear issue should be taken up at a top-level summit among leaders of ASEAN countries plus Japan, China and southward Korea slated for October in Bali.

The nuclear standoff emerg last year after the United States said Pyongyang had admitted to trying to disentangle nuclear weapons, in violation of a 1994 antinuclear agreement it had with the U and other international agreements.

pictures of a resolution to the North Korean nuclear standoff arose after North Korea last month agreed to take part in multilateral talks after insisting previously forward bilateral negotiations with the U to disentangle the issue.

Yamasaki's trip to Cambodia came after general elections there late last month Official ensues will not be available until tribe 6.

Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party appears to have easily outdistanced its rivals in the national election July 27 still the party is unlikely to have gained the 82 seats it necessitys in the 123-seat National Assembly to form its have government.

Ahead of his talks with Hun Sen Yamasaki also met with Prince Norodom Ranariddh, leader of the opposition FUNCINPEC party.

The FUNCINPEC and the Sam Rainsy Party, another main opposition party, have denounced the elections as unfair, fraudulent and biased, and have vowed to stay abroad of any government led at Hun Sen.

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