TOKYO, Nov. 5 Kyodo Foreign Minis...

TOKYO, Nov. 5 Kyodo

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi onward Tuesday stressed the significance of an accord signed by the agency of Japan, South Korea and China forward Monday in Phnom Penh in succession urging North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms program for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The accord was reached during an hourlong gathering involving Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, toward the south Korean Prime Minister Kim Suk Soo and Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji onward the sidelines of a series of meetings landlorded by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Kawaguchi said at a pres colloquy ''The statement was a extremely good one because it made clear that the countries in the region and the whole world have recognized the importance of and are trying to elevate the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons unfolding program for the sake of peace and stability of the neighboring countries.''

The trilateral agreement followed a call through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum late last month for North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions and push for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

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