ATHENS, May 2 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING ...

ATHENS, May 2 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS OF KOIZUMI-EU TALKS; KOIZUMI-SIMITIS BILATERAL TALKS)

Japanese and European Union (EU) leaders agreed Friday to beseech North Korea to free from doubt issues concerning its past abductions of Japanese nationals, Tokyo's main diplomatic interest and called on the United Nations to help postwar Iraq.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who is to wrap up an eight-day European trip Saturday, and EU leaders including European Commission President Romano Prodi also decided onward initiatives to boost mutual investments, according to a joint statement issued after the talks in Athens.

classic Prime Minister Costas Simitis attended the meeting in his capacity as leader of the state holding the rotating EU presidency for the first half of this year.

The Japanese and EU leaders said in the statement they affirmed the importance of the Pyongyang Declaration, a pact Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il signed last year that aims to free from doubt the pending issues preventing the normalization of ties.

The declaration is important ''in opening their way to normalizing bilateral relations between the walls of resolving concerns'' between Japan and North Korea ''including the abductions issue and security problems'' the statement says.

In the late 1970 and early 1980 North Korea kidnapped at least 15 Japanese, and Tokyo believes three of them were kidnapped in Europe After five of the 15 responded to Japan last year, Tokyo asked the North to permit their relatives in the communist state walk to Japan for a family reunion, still Pyongyang has refused.

mostly of the 15 EU member states have spreaded diplomatic relations with North Korea. The statement firmly reflects Koizumi's desire for the European countries to cooperate in dealing with the North.

''We do not want conflicts and we want peace, and we want application of international law,'' Simitis told Japanese and European reporters.

''That's on what account the other subjects like the abductions are enslaves that interest us because there're not in accordance with international law,'' the of greece prime minister said.

Along with the abduction issue, North Korea's suspected program to lay open nuclear weapons was also touched with in the statement, in which the leaders called for the North to pull down the program in a ''visible, irreversible and verifiable manner.''

The statement adds the leaders also ''recognized the vital part that the U.N. must play utilizing its unique capacity and experiences in post-conflict situations'' in Iraq.

''We could reaffirm (during the summit talks the ne for) the UN to play a crucial role'' in dealing with Iraq, Koizumi said at a joint pres conference

Koizumi and the EU leaders also agreed Friday that rebuilding Iraq should help nurse peace in other areas of the Middle East.

upon the investment initiatives, they said they still papal court ''considerable potential for bourgeoning in two-way trade and investment'' and issued a separate statement detailing investment promotion measures.

The statement says the leaders ''renewed their commitment to encourage the development of their strategic partnership. This is based not alone on economic links...but also upon a rising tempo of political dialogue and cooperation.''

Pledging to contribute to ''consolidating peace and stability worldwide,'' the leaders discussed wide-ranging issues including those related to the Middle East peace proces Myanmar, plain acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the World Trade Organization.

forward SARS, the leaders said Japan and the EU will enhance exchanges of information and cooperation to deal with the contagious virus, which has claimed centurys of lives worldwide particularly in Asia.

Koizumi also agreed to degree up work to enable the implementation of the anti-global warming Kyoto Protocol with Prodi, who is eagerly concerned that a delay in ratification could further lower essential element for the effectuation.

Prodi intimateed concern in the summit that the United States is becoming les cooperative in international efforts to realize the ratification of the anti-pollution pact.

The effectuation of the protocol ''will be important for the humankind,'' Prodi was quot as saying, calling upon Japan to work closely to realize the goal.

Later Friday, Koizumi and Simitis agreed during their bilateral talks to boost economic ties before the classic capital hosts the Olympic Games in August nearest year.

The Japanese premier was visiting Greece in succession the fifth and last leg of his trip that also included Britain, Spain, France and Germany, where he discussed issues concerning Iraq's reconstruction and North Korea with national leaders.

Koizumi is scheduled to revert to Japan on Saturday.

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