TOKYO, Jan. 19 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING...

TOKYO, Jan. 19 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS OF MEETING)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi declareed support Sunday for a comprehensive deal the United States is considering with North Korea in succession its nuclear programs, including a written assurance that it will not invade, a Foreign Ministry official said.

Kawaguchi set forthed Japan's support for the U proposal during a meeting with U Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly who briefed Kawaguchi forward the U.S. position regarding North Korea, the official said.

Kelly told reporters the talks were part of ongoing discussions between Tokyo and Washington and that while they did not really touch forward anything new, he took the opportunity ''to fit out how we work to unravel this issue of North Korea and its respond to its international obligations.''

Their meeting reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] points after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Friday that the U is considering a deal which would replace an agreement Washington signed with North Korea in Geneva in 1994 to cap its capability to extract weapons-grade plutonium from its nuclear reactors.

While Armitage rul not at home the possibility of a formal treaty of nonaggression, he indicated it would be possible for the U to provide a security guarantee to North Korea -- if it dismantles its nuclear weapons programs -- by dint of exchanging letters or official statements.

In Sunday's meeting, Kelly and Kawaguchi reaffirmed the ne for their countries and southward Korea, along with other countries in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as China and Russia, to continue to work closely in dealing with the issue, the Japanese official said in a briefing to reporters.

The sum of two units also agreed on the ne to find a peaceful solution to the issue by means of trilateral cooperation between Tokyo, Washington and Seoul as well as end multinational cooperation, according to the Japanese official

Kelly who visited southward Korea, China, Singapore and Indonesia to discuss North Korea's nuclear growth program before coming to Japan, also said he briefed the foreign minister in succession his earlier visits.

U Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker, who met with Kawaguchi onward Friday, was also at hand at the meeting. Kawaguchi and Baker had agreed Friday to maintain trilateral cooperation between Japan, the U and southward Korea in dealing with North Korea's nuclear growth program.

Meanwhile, Tsuneo Nishida, proxy vice minister for foreign policy, Shin Ebihara, director general of the North American Affairs Bureau, and Mitoji Yabunaka, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, also attended the meeting.

Later this week, John Bolton, U undersecretary of state for arms dominion government and international security affairs, is scheduled to visit Japan to attend a senior-level meeting in succession arms control and disarmament, which will also mask issues concerning North Korea.

At the Japan-U.S. Commission in succession Arms Control, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Verification meeting forward Friday, Yukiya Amano, the Foreign Ministry's director general for arms regulate and scientific affairs, and Bolton will discuss North Korea and other regional issues, as well as global partnerships, ministry officials said.

Bolton is also scheduled to fit other Japanese officials during his three-day trip to Japan from Thursday, according to the officials.

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