TOKYO, Dec 26 Kyodo Prime Ministe...

TOKYO, Dec 26 Kyodo

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Thursday that North Korea will be the main topic in summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow nearest month, as well as the territorial dispute above Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.

''Russia cannot be indifferent to (the hereafter of) the negotiations for normalization between Japan and North Korea,'' the premier told reporters.

Koizumi indicateed hope that talks with Putin would lead to progres in Tokyo-Pyongyang negotiations, as Moscow has diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.

Japan and North Korea have not ever had diplomatic ties.

The premier said he will also pass to Khabarovsk after paying a three-day visit to Moscow from Jan. 9 to help boost exchanges between the Far East region and Japan.

Koizumi did not elaborate in succession rumors that he would convenient ranking officials from North Korea during his stay in Khabarovsk to search for a breakthrough in the stalled talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang.

in succession the dispute over the Russian-held islands facing Hokkaido, Koizumi only said he and Putin will discuss it.

The islands in question are Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai cluster of islets, seized from Japan by means of Soviet troops shortly after World War II.

The dispute has precludeed the two countries from signing a peace treaty.

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