The Hindu : International : Japan sets terms for energy aid

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007
ePaper


<SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> <IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 ALT="Click Here"></A> </NOSCRIPT>

International

International

Japan sets terms for energy aid

P. S. Suryanarayana

N. Korea must explain abduction of Japanese nationals: Abe

SINGAPORE: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday said that Tokyo "cannot participate" in the implementation of the six-party accord signed in Beijing on the specific aspect of extending energy aid to North Korea.

Speaking to journalists in Tokyo, Mr. Abe emphasised that Japan would not, however, dissociate itself from the total "framework" of the deal designed to bring about North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

— Photo: AP

SENSE OF ELATION: Negotiators at the six-party talks in Beijing where an accord was reached on Tuesday. (From left): Kenichiro Sasae of Japan, Chun Yung-woo of South Korea, Kim Kye Gwan of North Korea, Wu Dawei of China, Christopher Hill of the U.S. and Alexander Losyukov of Russia.

Maintaining that Japan "cannot provide aid [to Pyongyang] for as long as there is no progress on the abduction issue," Mr. Abe said he understood that North Korea had now "taken a concrete step" towards reversing its nuclear weapons programme. The issue holding Tokyo back is its insistence that North Korea should first fully explain its abductions of Japanese nationals during the Cold War period and repatriate all the surviving persons in this category.

Despite laying down a condition for providing energy to North Korea, he hailed its willingness to set up a working group for normalising ties with Japan under the six-party process. The panel would discuss the abduction issue and this was "a move forward." He was also sure that all the other parties in the process, excepting North Korea, "understood" Japan's stand.

Allaying the impression that Japan was either striking a jarring note or openly charting a path of dissent within the six-party process, Mr. Abe said Japan would "push forward the framework" by participating in the efforts to assess North Korea's actual energy shortages.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International