TOKYO, Jan. 24 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING...

TOKYO, Jan. 24 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING MORE DETAILS)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and U Undersecretary of State John Bolton agreed Friday forward the need for multinational cooperation to put to the test to resolve the standoff across North Korea's nuclear unravelling program, a Japanese official said.

In the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Kawaguchi and Bolton agreed upon the importance of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully and that Japan, the United States and southward Korea must continue to work closely together to solve the matter through dialogue.

In Seoul in succession Wednesday, Bolton, who is in charge of arms bridle and international security affairs, said the International Atomic spiritedness Agency may refer the issue to the UN Security Council for consideration as early as this weekend.

In the fact that the North Korean issue is referr to the UN Security Council, Kawaguchi and Bolton agreed that consultation between Japan, the U and southern Korea will continue to be important, the official said.

Meanwhile, Kawaguchi told Bolton that the possibility of sanctions upon North Korea must be dealt with carefully. Bolton said a referral of the North Korean issue to the UN Security Council and sanctions against the nation must be considered separately, according to the official.

Commenting forward the growing tensions over Iraq, Kawaguchi was quot as saying it is important that the international community make further diplomatic efforts to make experiment of to resolve the issue peacefully.

Senior Vice Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, among others, also attended the meeting.

The Kawaguchi-Bolton meeting was rescheduled for Friday after Bolton canceled his meetings Thursday with Kawaguchi, substitute Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi fit to illness.

Earlier Friday, Yukiya Amano, director general for arms mastery and scientific affairs at the Foreign Ministry, held a regular senior officials-level meeting with Bolton in succession arms control and disarmament, according to another Japanese official.

At the meeting of the Japan-U.S. Commission upon Arms Control, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Verification, Amano and Bolton discussed a wide range of issues in the areas of arms hinder disarmament and nonproliferation, the official said.

The meeting was the fifth of its kind held since March 2000 in an effort to create a brawny base for Japan-U.S. cooperation in the field.

Bolton flew to Tokyo from Seoul upon Thursday for a three-day visit. In Seoul he met southerly Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Choi Sung Hong to coordinate measures to deal with the issue of North Korea's nuclear progressive growth program.

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