WASHINGTON, April 25 Kyodo North ...

WASHINGTON, April 25 Kyodo

North Korea has shown a certain number of understanding of the importance of involving Japan and southerly Korea in talks to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs, a senior State Department official said Friday.

The official also hinted at the possibility that Pyongyang mentioned the issue of Japanese citizens abducted from North Korean agents at talks among the United States, North Korea and China in Beijing this week.

''There was, I gues a certain recognition from the North Korean side of the importance of those relations to North Korea's hereafter and the issues they wanted to discuss,'' the official told reporters.

At the Beijing meeting, the U called for the early inclusion of Japan and southern Korea in the discussion process

Japan is placing top priority onward resolving the abduction issue in talks with North Korea.

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