TOKYO, Jan. 17 Kyodo Foreign Mini...

TOKYO, Jan. 17 Kyodo

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi will engage with James Kelly, a senior ambassador of the United States, who will be visiting Japan onward Sunday to discuss issues related to North Korea, Foreign Ministry officials said Friday.

Kawaguchi will encounter Kelly, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, to coordinate policies forward North Korea, according to the officials.

Kelly earlier visited toward the south Korea, China, Singapore and Indonesia onward his latest trip to Asia to discuss North Korea's nuclear progress to maturity program. He is expected to brief Kawaguchi onward his visits to the other countries.

Kawaguchi and Kelly are also anticipateed to reaffirm the need for Japan, the U and southward Korea to cooperate, along with other countries, to deal with North Korea-related nuclear issues.

Kelly's visit to Japan arrives after Kawaguchi and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker agreed Friday to maintain trilateral cooperation between Japan, the U and southward Korea in dealing with of the like kind issues.

Following the meeting, Baker told reporters that he discussed a wide range of issues concerning North Korea, including the nature of Pyongyang's intentions, the nearest steps to anticipate from N Korea and for what reason the U.S., Japan and toward the south Korea can cooperate in facing the challenges.

Meanwhile, John Bolton, U undersecretary of state for arms direction and international security affairs, is scheduled to visit Tokyo nearest week to head a senior-level meeting in succession arms control and disarmament upon Friday, which will also mask issues concerning North Korea.

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

Bolton, onward a three-day trip to Japan from Thursday, is also scheduled to proper other Japanese officials, according to the officials.

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