TOKYO, April 14 Kyodo (EDS: ADDIN...

TOKYO, April 14 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING COMMENTS)

Japan welcomed Monday the flexible stance give utterance toed by North Korea throughout proposed multilateral talks on its nuclear increase program.

''Looking at it overall, it's going in a favorable direction,'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told reporters. ''We are placing a actual close watch on North Korea's coming time moves.''

The top sway spokesman was referring to notes Saturday by a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman that Pyongyang ''will not stick to any particular dialogue format'' if the United States changes its ''hostile'' policy.

The remarks from North Korea indicated its readiness to accept multilateral talks, softening its demand for direct bilateral talks with the US

''It's a upright sign,'' Fukuda said. ''It includes North Korea's intention of trying to endeavor to gain a solution.''

Making it clear that Japan should be included in the multilateral talks, Fukuda said, ''Our nation is an indispensable member.''

In Washington upon Sunday, U.S. President George W Bush said he is optimistic about realizing multilateral talks with North Korea to follow diplomatic solutions to the country's nuclear issue.

''We are making worthy progress,'' Bush told reporters at the White House. ''We have made it clear that we think that the best way to deal with proliferation (of North Korea's suspected weapons of mass destruction) is between the sides of a multinational forum. It examines like that might be coming to fruition.''

The multilateral forum is awaited to include China, Japan, North and southern Korea, Russia and the US

While welcoming North Korea's flexibility and Bush's words Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka said security issues concerning North Korea should be resolv comprehensively and diplomatically.

''I am not optimistic, yet not pessimistic,'' Tanaka told a of the present days conference. ''It takes time, unfortunately.''

Tanaka said the issues that ne to be resolv also include bilateral issues between Japan and the North, so as abduction of Japanese nationals by the agency of North Korea and its suspected detect ships in waters facing Japan.

Bush has said the U guidance will seek a diplomatic solution to issues concerning North Korea, still analysts say it has not rul not at home the option of the use of force forward the North.

Tanaka said any war forward the Korean Peninsula would cause stupendous damage to Japan and southern Korea, and that a preemptive strike in succession the North is not in Japan's national interest.

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