Japan is ready to make active contribution to achieving
substantial progress of the six-party talks, have conductive
discussions with all relevant parties and welcome all proposals and
opinions raised at the talks.?
This is the viewpoint of head of the Japanese delegation Mitoji
Yabunaka when addressing the opening ceremony of the second round
of six-party talks in Beijing Wednesday morning.
Yabunaka, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs
Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, said in order to realize
the goal of permanent and complete elimination of the nuclear
program in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), it is
very important to make substantial progress in the six-party
talks.?????
Japan strongly hopes the current round of talks takes big stride
forward, he said, adding peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue
of the Korean Peninsula is of great significance to realizing the
overall peace and stability of Northeast Asia.
To this end, Japan has kept its stance unchanged that it is
necessary to pass a package of resolution of the issue and
comprehensively improve the relations between the DPRK and other
relevant countries.
He said Japan and the DPRK should solve the existing problems
between them through equal dialogues and realize normalization of
bilateral relations.
Yabunaka said though the relevant parties have heavy tasks on
their shoulders in the talks, they should not give in to the
pressures. He called for the parties to have endurance and patience
as grass enduring the severe winter and waiting to spout in the
spring, eliminate distrust and division and push for actual results
of the talks.
He expressed thanks and admiration to the Chinese government for
its efforts to push for the convention of the new round of
six-party talks.
(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2004)