Japan, DPKR Agree on Steps to Resume Normalization Talks

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 17, 2002

Japan, DPKR Agree on Steps to Resume Normalization Talks

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Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), agreed on Tuesday to proceed with resuming negotiations on normalizing diplomatic ties, Kyodo News reported.

The two leaders reached the agreement during their summit meeting in Pyongyang, Kyodo said, quoting Japanese government sources

Following is the full text of a statement by DPRK carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Red Cross Society informed the Japanese side of the fact that it has confirmed the whereabouts of missing Japanese.

In this connection, a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry today issued a statement. The statement said:'The DPRK Red Cross Society notified the Japanese side of the fact that it has confirmed the whereabouts of missing Japanese on the list requested by the Japan Red Cross to ascertain.

We take this serious.

It is regretful that these issues surfaced in the past as a product of the abnormal relationship between the DPRK and Japan.

We will prevent such things from happening in the future.

We are ready to provide facilities to those survivors identified to enable them to meet with their families and relatives and those concerned of the Japanese government, if necessary, and take necessary steps to let them return home or visit their hometowns if they wish.

As regards the issue of plane "Yodo," the DPRK government takes note of the fact that those related to it expressed their intention to go back home.

We respect their intention to go back home of their own accord and expect that the issue would be solved as smoothly as possible from a humanitarian point of view."

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