The subject of North Korea was prominent in talks in Tokyo Tuesday between U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top Japanese government officials.
Clinton is on her first overseas trip in her new job and her first stop in Asia
is America's long-time key ally in the region. Clinton is seeking to re-assure
Japan the new administration in Washington will back its policies towards
Pyongyang.
Clinton says she discussed "at great length" North Korea
weapon's programs and the stalled six-way talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to
give up its nuclear ambitions.
The timing of the talks is critical. The
North Koreans are believed to be preparing another test of their longest-range
missile and Pyongyang has hinted as much.
Addressing a joint news
conference here with her Japanese counterpart, Clinton made reference to the
possible missile test. She also gave Japan moral support on what is an emotional
issue here - resolving the fate of Japanese citizens who were kidnapped and
taken to North Korea.
"The possible missile launch that North Korea
is talking about would be very unhelpful in moving our relationship forward,"
she said. "I know the abductee issue is of great concern here in Japan and I
will be meeting with families later today to express my personal sympathy and
our concern about what happened to those who were abducted."
Clinton
says, if the North Koreans give up their nuclear weapons program and abide by
previous agreements, the United States is willing to sign a peace treaty and
normalize relations.
During the Bush administration, Japan expressed
disappointment the United States removed North Korea from a terrorism blacklist
without much progress in resolving the abductee issue.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone is
expressing appreciation about the Obama White House's pledge to pressure
Pyongyang on the fate of the missing Japanese.
Nakasone promises Tokyo
will lift sanctions it imposed on North Korea, if Pyongyang re-opens its
investigation into the fate of the Japanese abductees.
While in Tokyo,
Clinton signed an agreement on relocating thousands of American troops from
Okinawa to the American island, Guam, in the Pacific.
The Tokyo meetings
also resulted in an announcement that Prime Minister Taro Aso will head to
Washington next week - making him the first foreign leader to be greeted at the
White House by President Barack Obama.
Mr. Aso's popularity is in the
single digits, according a new opinion survey. He suffered another political
blow this week. His finance minister, Shoichi Nakagawa, Tuesday promised to step
down in wake of criticism he appeared drunk a few days ago at a news conference
after a G-8 meeting in Rome.