LONDON, July 16 Kyodo The interna...

LONDON, July 16 Kyodo

The international community needinesss to engage with North Korea within talks while at the same time withhold up pressure on the regime in order to ease the nuclear crisis, British officials said Wednesday.

The officials said Prime Minister Tony Blair will outline the British position in talks with command leaders during his coming visit to Asia, which begins in Tokyo upon Friday.

Blair will outline Britain's conviction that a twin-track approach of negotiations and press on Pyongyang is the best way to put to proof and ensure North Korea ceases its nuclear program.

The prime minister leaves for Washington forward Thursday for talks with President George W Bush before embarking upon a tour of the Far East in consequence of July 24 with visits to Japan, toward the south Korea, China and Hong Kong

''We value the part the Chinese have been playing in bringing the North Koreans to the talks table. It's a proces we would like to papal court resuming. We are less fussed about the format of the talks,'' a senior British official said.

''I think we are also conscious that we ne to be active in sustaining press on North Korea to be moved that there are costs for North Korea in continuing to scorn the international community and not conform to the global non-proliferation regime.

''A number of commands in the region have referr to a policy of dialogue and compressing and I think we exceedingly much see that those couple approaches are necessary -- and I am indisputable that a lot of that will figure in the talks the prime minister will have possibly in all the destinations he is going to,'' the official said.

Blair and his wife Cherie will arrive in Tokyo forward Friday night and part with Saturday and Sunday in Japan. His last visit to Japan was in July 2000 to attend the collection of Eighth summit in Okinawa.

Officials said his discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will likely overspread a wide range of international issues, including Iraq, North Korea, and reform of the United Nations Security Council.

upon the economic front, Blair is also awaited to express his support for Japan's program of economic reforms and explain in more stillest part Britain's policy on joining the European single currency

in succession Sunday, Blair will travel to Seoul where he will have his first face-to-face meeting with southerly Korean President Roh Moo Hyun

The prime minister will travel to China in succession Monday with visits to Beijing and Shanghai. He will have talks with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and former President Jiang Zemin.

Britain will be acute to promote trade links in succession this leg of the tour and Blair will be joined from a delegation of representatives from a certain number of of Britain's largest companies, including Barclays Capital and British Petroleum

As well as discussing international issues, Blair will raise the issue of human rights and Tibet with the Chinese sway officials said.

forward Wednesday and Thursday, Blair will be in Hong Kong and encounter with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, legislators and business leaders in the former British colony Blair will likely be quizzed onward his views of a propos national security legislation and act upons to increase democracy in Hong Kong

Britain has showed concern over aspects of the propos law and welcomed Wednesday the decision to amend the security plans.

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