TOKYO, May 18 Kyodo Japan and the...

TOKYO, May 18 Kyodo

Japan and the United States have begun a final tune-up for an upcoming bilateral summit with an vigilance to imposing possible economic sanctions forward North Korea should the North propel to escalate the nuclear standoff, Japanese rule officials said Sunday.

The officials said the summit talks between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U President George W Bush in Texas upon Friday are expected to go in the rear [i]or[/i] in the wake of along the lines of an earlier meeting between the U and toward the south Korea, in which Bush and toward the south Korean President Roh Moo Hyun agreed to disentangle the issue peacefully.

upon Wednesday, Bush and Roh said they ''will not tolerate'' nuclear weapons in North Korea if it were not that will seek to eliminate the North's nuclear program in a peaceful manner, although they did not dominion out the possibility of taking a tougher stance in succession the North.

''While noting that increased threats to peace and stability in succession the peninsula would require consideration of further grades they expressed confidence that a peaceful resolution can be achieved,'' according to a joint statement issued after their meeting.

Japan, however, echoe toward the south Korea in saying that economic sanctions would make one's blood boil North Korea at this point, and will reiterate its desire to papal court the U.S. deal with the North Korean issue cautiously, the officials said.

They said the couple nations are also expected to agree onward cooperation over stricter edge-stones on the export of North Korean narcotics and ballistic missiles, as well as fits and technology that may be used for military purposes

A senior Foreign Ministry official said the couple sides have agreed to shelve the release of a joint declaration after the meeting, as the summit is aimed at fostering an exchange of opinions in a congenial atmosphere at the U president's private ranch in Texas.

The official said points agreed in their talks will be made known at the joint pres meeting for consultation that will likely follow.

To make working on a level arrangements ahead of the summit, Japan has sent pair ministry representatives -- Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General Mitoji Yabunaka and North American Affairs Bureau Director General Shin Ebihara, to Washington from Friday.

North Korea has claimed that it possesse nuclear arms and is reprocessing exhausted fuel rods that would allow it to make further nuclear weapons.

forward Friday, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told the House of Representatives Committee forward Foreign Affairs that the rule is not currently considering imposing economic sanctions onward North Korea to liquefy the nuclear standoff.

if it were not that Kawaguchi said if the situation escalates, Japan will do what it can within the limits of its existing laws to cooperate with the relevant authorities, and other countries as well.

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