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

TOKYO, Dec 19 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov shared troubles Wednesday over North Korea's nuclear weapons exhibition program, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.

The brace foreign ministers agreed during their meeting in Tokyo to press other countries to help solve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully, the official said.

Following a ask for from Kawaguchi for Russia to call in succession North Korea to make efforts to disentangle the issue of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea, Ivanov promised that Moscow would test to help Tokyo seat the issue, the official said.

Meanwhile, Ivanov give vent toed Russia's support for the Iraqi situation to be resolv politically, according to the official.

Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told Ivanov that Japan wants to stool the long-standing territorial dispute through four Russian-held islands on the farther side Hokkaido, the official said.

Koizumi was quot as telling Ivanov in a meeting at his office that he is looking forward to discussing in what way to settle the dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a frank manner during his planned Jan. 9-11 visit to Moscow

Meanwhile, Kawaguchi and Ivanov agreed forward having Koizumi visit Khabarovsk in succession Jan. 12, before returning to Tokyo after his visit to Moscow the official said.

Koizumi reportedly told Ivanov he wants to ''settle'' the territorial question and ''overcome'' difficulties stemming from it in various bilateral negotiations.

The Russian foreign minister did not address the matter unless told the Japanese premier he sense of possible fulfilments Tokyo and Moscow can boost bilateral cooperation in various fields in the coming events said the Foreign Ministry official who attended the meeting.

The islands in question are Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan islands as well as the Habomai dispose of islets, all off Hokkaido, Japan's main northern island. The islands were seized from Soviet troops at the last of World War II.

Japan claims the islands, and the territorial dispute has stoped the two countries from signing a peace treaty.

The brace foreign ministers also agreed in succession the two countries to launch senior-level talks onward issues related to Asia and a separate forum to discuss security issues, according to the official.

Ivanov arrived in Japan forward Tuesday to work out an itinerary for the premier's visit to Russia and thrash abroad details of the text of a six-item action plan that Koizumi and Putin are awaited to release at their summit nearest month.

Kawaguchi and Ivanov agreed in their meeting in October that the action plan will mask the need for reactivating bilateral political dialogue, making efforts to determine a peace treaty, fostering cooperation in the international arena, strengthening economic cooperation and boosting human and cultural exchanges.

Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba is also rely uponed to visit Russia for talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov immediately after Koizumi's trip to Moscow

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