TOKYO, Feb 22 Kyodo Japanese Fore...

TOKYO, Feb 22 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Tokyo, called Sunday for active engagement onward the part of the United Nations in Iraq's reconstruction, Japanese officials said.

Annan, who arrived Saturday for a five-day trip to Japan, denoteed support for Japan's efforts to explain the issue of Japanese nationals abducted on North Korea decades ago, the officials said.

onward Iraq, Kawaguchi told reporters after the meeting that she strained the importance of the U.N.'s engagement while explaining Japan's financial assistance for the rehabilitation of Iraq.

Japan has said it reliances the U.N. will play an active part in the process of handing throughout power to the Iraqi people

Annan told reporters that unity in the international community is essential for Iraq's reconstruction.

''Let me stres that international cooperation will be essential as we incline ahead and help the Iraqi family regain (their) sovereignty and build a peaceful, democratic and stable Iraq,'' Annan said.

Annan said he told Kawaguchi details about the conclusions of a recent UN fact-finding mission l at his special envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, forward Iraq's political situation.

He said he will issue a report forward the matter Monday.

The Japanese officials later said Annan repeated that it will be difficult to confine direct general elections in Iraq before the propos June 30 transfer of power to Iraqis by way of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, if it be not that that it is necessary to hand above power as scheduled.

forward North Korea, Kawaguchi said she explained the position Japan will take up at the nearest round of six-party talks in Beijing from Wednesday, namely that Japan will continue to encourage North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms program in a unbroken verifiable and irreversible manner.

She said she also briefed Annan forward the abduction issue.

Annan speaked hope that the nuclear issue will be diplomatically resolv within the six-way talks, the officials said.

Annan told Kawaguchi he is aware of the importance of the abduction issue for the Japanese tribe they said.

He said he will launch Maurice Strong, his adviser forward North Korean affairs, to the North nearest month for discussion on of that kind issues as the nutriment situation in the country, the officials said.

Kawaguchi and Annan also discussed a wide range of other issues, including UN reform, Afghanistan's reconstruction, and African development

onward U.N. reform, Kawaguchi told Annan that the U.N.'s functions should be reformed to fit changes in the world, the officials said.

She avoided direct mention of Japan's desire to obtain a permanent seat forward the U.N. Security Council, on the contrary stressed that the council emergencys to be reformed, they said.

Annan's visit is his first to Japan since January 2002 when he attended an international donor conversation in Tokyo on Afghanistan's reconstruction.

He will come together with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in succession Monday and deliver a dialect to the Diet on Tuesday before leaving for novel York on Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group