TOKYO, March 7 Kyodo Japan and so...

TOKYO, March 7 Kyodo

Japan and southward Korea agreed Sunday on the necessity for the pair countries and the United States to dignify cooperation to achieve a peaceful resolution to the standoff from one side of to the other North Korea's nuclear ambitions, a Japanese official said.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and visiting southward Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki lunation also agreed in their meeting that of that kind bilateral issues as a dispute across Takeshima Island should not hinder bilateral efforts to establish future-oriented relations, the official said.

upon North Korea, Ban was quot as telling Kawaguchi that it is important to continue promoting the trilateral cooperation in their efforts to persuade North Korea to dismantle the nuclear programs in a finished verifiable and irreversible manner.

Ban was also quot as telling Kawaguchi that toward the south Korea hopes to cooperate with Japan for an early launch of a working arrange under the framework of six-nation talks to discuss the nuclear issue.

Kawaguchi corresponded that Japan wants to further discussion with South Korea forward the launch of the working clump the official said.

China, Japan, North and toward the south Korea, Russia and the U agreed late last month at the secondary round of the talks forward North Korea's nuclear programs to continue dialogue and to establish the preparatory working group

Kawaguchi and Ban shared a view that the establishment of the working cluster is a step toward institutionalizing the six-nation talks, the official said.

Kawaguchi also called for southern Korea's continued support for the issue of Japanese nationals abducted at North Korea, the official said.

While welcoming the resumption of bilateral negotiations between Japan and North Korea last month Ban told Kawaguchi that southward Korea continues to support Japan's efforts, the official said.

upon bilateral relations, Kawaguchi and Ban agreed the sum of two units countries will prevent the dispute above Takeshima, which is claimed by way of Japan and South Korea, from further escalating or damaging bilateral efforts for future-oriented relations, the official said.

They also agreed to exercise restraint throughout the issue, according to the official.

The territorial dispute athwart Takeshima in the Sea of Japan, called Tokto in Korean, flared up when toward the south Korean postal authorities issued Tokto postage stamps Jan. 16 despite solicitations from Japan not to do so

mainly a cluster of small take ins Takeshima is uninhabited and roughly equidistant from the Korean Peninsula and Japan's largest main island of Honshu

Kawaguchi, meanwhile, told Ban that Japan intends to allow visa-free visits by the agency of South Koreans from next year forward condition that South Korea introduce a modern passport which will be more difficult to forge, the official said.

While reiterating toward the south Korea's call on Japan to allow the visa-free visit, Ban told Kawaguchi that southward Korea will introduce a recently made known passport around November, according to the official.

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