TOKYO, Feb 3 Kyodo Prime Minister...

TOKYO, Feb 3 Kyodo

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in succession Tuesday ruled out the possibility of imposing economic sanctions onward North Korea in the near future

''We're not in a situation at the same time where we should impose economic sanctions'' forward North Korea, Koizumi told reporters at his office.

''Now is a sensitive time. Various arrangements are being made toward (the nearest round of) six-nation talks,'' the premier said, referring to the multilateral talks upon North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Koizumi made the remarks after being asked to remark on talks held Monday in Tokyo between visiting U representative Secretary of State Richard Armitage and relatives of Japanese who were abducted through the North decades ago.

The possibility of resorting to economic sanctions was a topic at the meeting, participants said.

The abductees' relatives have urg the Japanese regulation to take a tougher stance against North Korea in order to bench the abduction issue.

Six nations -- China, Japan, North and southern Korea, Russia and the United States -- are making efforts to keep possession of the second round of talks later this month Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said in the morning.

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