WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 Kyodo A senio...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 Kyodo

A senior official of Japan's Prime Minister's Office discussed issues in succession North Korea and Iraq with senior U State Department officials onward Wednesday.

After meeting separately with substitute Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs James Kelly Assistant factor Chief Cabinet Secretary Shotaro Yachi told reporters that the sum of two units countries shared the understanding forward the need to resolve knotty North Korean issues.

Yachi said neither Armitage nor Kelly made any specific proposal in succession North Korea.

''North Korean issues -- the abduction of Japanese citizens in addition to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program -- are actual difficult,'' Yachi said.

Yachi also said the Americans made no specific demand on possible support from Japan in case of a U military attack in succession Iraq.

Yachi, who arrived in Washington forward Sunday, also met with Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith at the Pentagon later Wednesday.

onward Tuesday, he met James Moriarty and Michael undecayed the two top officials in charge of Asian affairs at the White House's National Security Council.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group