Japan, DPRK End Day's Talks Without Obvious Progress

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 31, 2002

Japan, DPRK End Day's Talks Without Obvious Progress

Negotiators from Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ended their talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday without obvious progress.

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Japan, DPRK End Day's Talks Without Obvious Progress

Negotiators from Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ended their talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday without obvious progress.

The talks, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur,came about as a result of a declaration signed at a summit betweenJapanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and DPRK leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang last month.

Briefing the press Tuesday evening, a spokesman of the Japanesedelegation said both sides discussed issues including the abduction of Japanese citizens by the DPRK, and the scrapping of the DPRK's nuclear weapons program, on the basis of the Pyongyang declaration.

While showing its willingness to discuss these issues, the spokesman said, the DPRK delegation requested negotiation over normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and Japanese assistance as early as possible.

"Although we gathered here for talks on normalizing ties, certainly, we are far apart," the DPRK chief negotiator, Jong Thae-hwa, told his Japanese counterpart, Katsunari Suzuki, at the opening of the talks.

"There are differences over various views. There are issues which cannot be solved without cooperation," Jong added.

Earlier attempts to normalize formal relations between Japan and the DPRK broke down two years ago when Pyongyang denied its role in the abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago.

It was reported the DPRK's admission of the abductions last month cleared the way for resumption of the stalled talks.

Formal negotiations will resume Wednesday morning, following working meetings attended by some delegates from both sides on Tuesday evening.

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