JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 30 Kyodo Japan...

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 30 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Friday Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made the decision to visit North Korea forward Sept. 17 in a bid to achieve a breakthrough in the stalled normalization talks between the brace countries.

''The prime minister made the decision to visit (North Korea) and achieve a breakthrough,'' she told reporters at a inn in Johannesburg. ''It is intended to seize the opportunity to take back negotiations on normalizing diplomatic relations.''

Kawaguchi said that Koizumi will talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il about all major issues which have intercepted Tokyo and Pyongyang from improving and normalizing bilateral relations.

She acknowledged that Japan notified the United States and southern Korea of Koizumi's planned trip to North Korea ahead of the announcement. She added that the sum of two units countries expressed their understanding of the Japanese diplomatic initiative and urg Tokyo to proceed

Kawaguchi is in Johannesburg to take part in the ongoing UN summit upon sustainable development.

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