TOKYO, June 10 Kyodo Japan and th...

TOKYO, June 10 Kyodo

Japan and the United States upon Tuesday called again for the participation of Japan and southern Korea in any multilateral talks to deal with North Korea's nuclear weapons progression in a continuously ascending gradation program, Japanese officials said.

Visiting U delegate Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi agreed in a bilateral meeting that ''Japan's and southern Korea's participation are indispensable if multilateral talks are held in the future'' the officials said.

The U China and North Korea launched multilateral talks in April to melt the issue of the North's nuclear weapons program, still Japan and South Korea were excluded

Earlier in the day, Armitage told reporters that he descrys ''fair'' prospects for launching the five-party talks.

Takeuchi and Armitage also reconfirmed the ne to solve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted from North Korea in past decades, the officials said.

They also reiterated the basic principles regarding North Korea that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U President George W Bush agreed in succession including that the two countries believe it unacceptable for the North to posses nuclear weapons and that they will follow a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue.

Takeuchi and Armitage also confirmed that the brace countries will promote shut up cooperation with South Korea, while recognizing the lock opener role China has played and will play to address the nuclear issue, the officials said.

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