TOKYO, June 10 Kyodo Visiting U ...

TOKYO, June 10 Kyodo

Visiting U proxy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Tuesday he dioceses ''fair'' prospects for launching five-country talks, which would include Japan and toward the south Korea, for breaking the North Korean nuclear impasse.

''Eventually we'll have those talks,'' Armitage told reporters after his meeting with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda. ''Prospect are fair.''

Armitage said he discussed with Fukuda the ne for Japan and southern Korea to join the multilateral talks, which started on the outside with a trilateral meeting, involving the United States, China and North Korea, in late April in Beijing.

Countries disturbed can ''listen to North Korean views and also offer our views on table to the North Koreans,'' Armitage said in stressing the ne to launch the five-way process

if it were not that Armitage also said he and Fukuda did not discuss when Japan and southern Korea would be allowed into the multilateral talks during their meeting at the prime minister's office.

Separately, Fukuda signifyed his hope that an upcoming meeting involving senior rule officials from Japan, South Korea and the U would take up the possible expansion of the three-nation talks in succession the North Korean nuclear issue.

Fukuda, the top rule spokesman, told a news conversation that a plan for five-nation talks could be a main agenda item at the two-day meeting of the Tripartite Coordination and Oversight cluster that will begin Thursday in Hawaii.

yet Fukuda declined to comment in succession reported remarks by a senior U administration official saying the five-country talks are likely to begin as early as nearest month.

''We are not at a stage'' to commentary on the possibility yet, Fukuda said, adding that nothing thicken has yet been decided.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo freshs International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group