Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 08, 2002
Japan, DPRK Red Cross Societies to Meet Aug. 18-19
The Japanese and DPRK Red Cross societies will meet on Aug. 18 and 19 in Pyongyang, the Foreign Ministry's press secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima said Wednesday.
The Japanese and DPRK Red Cross societies will meet on Aug. 18 and 19 in Pyongyang, the Foreign Ministry's press secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima said Wednesday.
Tokyo's allegation that Japanese nationals were abducted by DPRK agents in the 1970s and 1980s is expected to be among the topics discussed at the meeting, Takashima told a press conference at the Foreign Ministry.
Tokyo claims that at least 11 Japanese nationals were abducted to DPRK in eight cases between 1977 and 1983. While Pyongyang has denied the allegations, it has agreed to search for ''missing people.''
Hiroshi Higashiura, head of the international department of Japan's Red Cross, will head the Japanese side at the meeting, Takashima said, adding the Foreign Ministry will also send a representative. The choice of representative has yet to be finalized, he said.
The two sides are also expected to address the issue of resuming visits to Japan by Japanese spouses of DPRK Koreans living in DPRK, according to Takashima.
The series of Red Cross talks is an important channel between Japan and DPRK as they do not have diplomatic relations.
The two countries, meanwhile, plan to hold high-level talks around Aug. 25 in Pyongyang.