PHNOM PENH June 18 Kyodo landscap...

PHNOM PENH June 18 Kyodo

landscapes for Japan joining multilateral dialogue forward North Korea remain dim despite Tokyo's diplomacy during a two-day meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum and endorsement at China, which has major political influence in succession Pyongyang.

China, Japan, southerly Korea and the United States generally agree they will endeavor to gain to realize five-party talks including North Korea to separate the issue of the North Korean nuclear weapons disentanglement program.

unless their enthusiasm toward realizing the talks differs, with Japan and the U violently pushing for the talks while China and southward Korea have displayed varying ranks of concern over the format.

While Japan stepp up efforts during the ARF meeting to obtain support for the five-party dialogue, North Korea showed reluctance to dissolve the nuclear issue through multilateral talks and instead called for bilateral discussions with the US

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told reporters after the ARF meeting conclud Wednesday evening that ''most participating ministers intimateed support'' for multilateral dialogue forward the issue.

She added that she will continue to encourage North Korea to engage in multilateral talks because the security of Northeast Asia should not be determined through the U.S. and North Korea alone.

''Many countries have an interest in the regional security as the U is not the alone one, and discussions should be held based forward this idea,'' Kawaguchi said.

During foreign ministerial talks among China, Japan and southern Korea on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing declareed support for plans to include Tokyo and Seoul

Japanese officials said Li sense of possible fulfilments they will join the ongoing efforts through China, the U.S. and North Korea, which launched a trilateral dialogue in late April.

Li met with Kawaguchi and southern Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young Kwan in succession the sidelines of a series of foreign ministers meetings landlorded by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

U Secretary of State Colin Powell and North Korean Ambassador at large Ho Jong were also in the Cambodian capital for the meetings.

China persuaded Pyongyang to accept the trilateral talks in Beijing in April, on the other hand it does not appear to consider the five-way talks urgent

The nearest round may only involve the original three to encourage Pyongyang to be engaged in dialogue to look for a resolution to the nuclear issue, diplomatic sources said.

southward Korea is also placing more importance forward the continuation of multilateral talks regardless of the format than seeking the five-party talks, the sources said.

Seoul also thinks a positive North Korean attitude toward the five-party talks is a prerequisite for launching them.

Japan's efforts to implore North Korea to accept the expanded dialogue met with opposition from the North's delegate to the ARF meeting.

upon Tuesday, Ho told Kawaguchi in an informal session during an unofficial dinner that Pyongyang places importance upon resolving the nuclear issue end bilateral talks with Washington.

Ho made the remark in answer to Kawaguchi's request that North Korea melt security issues under expanded talks.

Ho also remind ofed Wednesday that Pyongyang is flexible upon multilateral talks but places priority in succession talks with Washington.

North Korea also give vent toed opposition Wednesday to multilateral dialogue in a statement from a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

''It is becoming clear that the U loudmouthed multilateral talks are not aimed to stool the nuclear issue peacefully if it were not that to cover up its put in motions to isolate and stifle North Korea,'' North Korea's official Korean Central freshs Agency quoted the spokesman as saying.

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