G8 ministers call for N Korea to disarm: Japan
The Group of Eight foreign ministers have agreed that N Korea must completely abandon its nuclear weapons and address an abduction row with Tokyo.
By Agencies |
KYOTO: The Group of Eight foreign ministers agreed on Friday that North Korea must completely abandon its nuclear weapons and address an abduction row with Tokyo, host Japan said.
The ministers of the eight industrial powers held talks in Kyoto, Japan, one day after North Korea submitted a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear programmes.
"The important thing is to thoroughly verify it and lead to our final objective of abandonment of nuclear weapons," Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters.
He said the ministers also supported Japan's push for North Korea to do more to resolve a row on the fate of Japanese civilians whom the communist regime kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s.
"All of the participants showed support for us. The issue is important not only for Japan; it is a human rights issue for the international community," Komura said.
Tokyo had opposed the US decision Thursday to remove North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism due to the abduction row, which rouses deep emotion in Japan.
North Korea in 2002 admitted it kidnapped 13 Japanese civilians to train its spies. It returned five of them and their families and said, to Japan's scepticism, that the rest of them are dead.
Under US pressure, North Korea earlier this month agreed to reopen the investigation into the fate of the abductees, reversing its long-held stand that the issue was closed.
The ministers of the eight industrial powers held talks in Kyoto, Japan, one day after North Korea submitted a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear programmes.
"The important thing is to thoroughly verify it and lead to our final objective of abandonment of nuclear weapons," Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters.
He said the ministers also supported Japan's push for North Korea to do more to resolve a row on the fate of Japanese civilians whom the communist regime kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s.
"All of the participants showed support for us. The issue is important not only for Japan; it is a human rights issue for the international community," Komura said.
Tokyo had opposed the US decision Thursday to remove North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism due to the abduction row, which rouses deep emotion in Japan.
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North Korea in 2002 admitted it kidnapped 13 Japanese civilians to train its spies. It returned five of them and their families and said, to Japan's scepticism, that the rest of them are dead.
Under US pressure, North Korea earlier this month agreed to reopen the investigation into the fate of the abductees, reversing its long-held stand that the issue was closed.
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