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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Annan Hails Historic Talks Between Japan, DPRK

Encouraged by the "historic" visit by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Pyongyang, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed the hope that the talks could lead to a speedy normalization of bilateral relations, according to a statement issued Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.


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Encouraged by the "historic" visit by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Pyongyang, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed the hope that the talks could lead to a speedy normalization of bilateral relations, according to a statement issued Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.

"The Secretary-General is very much encouraged by the success of the historic visit by the Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi to Pyongyang and his talks with the Chairman of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea National Defense Commission Kim Jong Il," the statement said.

Annan hoped that the resolve of the two leaders to settle the past problem and address in earnest existing concerns, particularly of a humanitarian and security nature, would lead to a speedy normalization of bilateral relations.

He also appealed to donor countries to help the United Nations'humanitarian and developmental effort in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

He praised the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration, adopted at thesummit, as "a landmark contribution to regional peace and security."

The Secretary-General believed that the international communityshould render its full support for these efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to the Peninsula.

The two leaders Tuesday concluded their first-ever summit with progress made in solving major thorny issues affecting relations between the two countries.

Normalization negotiations between the two countries started in1991, but the talks were suspended in October 2002 after 11 rounds,amid huge differences over a number of key issues.


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