Japan raps N. Korea, Iran, promotes disarmament at NPT meetings+

NEW YORK, May 4 Kyodo -
The Japanese delegate to a U.N. conference on the nuclear nonproliferation pact
voiced strong concern Tuesday over standoffs involving Iran and North Korea,
while pledging to help get international moves toward nuclear disarmament
rolling.
In a speech at the review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama said, ''The series of
activities by the DPRK including nuclear tests is a grave threat to the
international nonproliferation regime and is absolutely unacceptable.''
DPRK is the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North
Korea's official name.
''Japan urges the DPRK to take concrete actions to abandon all nuclear weapons
and existing nuclear programs in accordance with the joint statement of the
six-party talks adopted in September 2005 and the relevant U.N. Security
Council resolutions,'' Fukuyama said.
He also said Tokyo is ''deeply concerned'' over developments surrounding Iran's
nuclear stance.
''Japan urges Iran to restore the confidence of the international community by
cooperating fully with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and
fulfilling promptly the requirements set by a series of U.N. Security Council
resolutions,'' Fukuyama said.
At a press conference later in the day, Fukuyama said, ''As for Japan, we want
to have the final document include references on North Korea.''
In a message that was read out by Fukuyama on his behalf, Japanese Prime
Minister Yukio Hatoyama said, ''The citizens of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are
watching with keen eyes what will come out of this conference.''
Hatoyama was quoted as saying he believes that Japan has ''a moral
responsibility'' to play a leading role in eliminating nuclear weapons from the
world, and pledged to firmly maintain the three non-nuclear principles of not
possessing, producing or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory.
More than 200,000 citizens died in two atomic bombings in the Japanese cities
and many people still suffer aftereffects of radioactive exposure even today 60
years later, Hatoyama said.
The prime minister said, ''The threat of nuclear weapons is among the most
serious challenges that humankind faces and such horrors must never be
repeated.''
Referring to a working paper Japan jointly submitted with Australia in March
for the NPT review conference, Fukuyama said that Japan calls on all nuclear
weapon states to reaffirm ''an unequivocal undertaking'' to accomplish the
total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
Fukuyama also asked nuclear powers to commit themselves to reducing the role of
nuclear weapons and provide ''stronger negative security assurances'' under
which they will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states that
comply with the NPT.
Fukuyama made the speech on the second day of the nearly monthlong NPT review
conference that runs through May 28. On the first day, confrontation
intensified between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear ambitions
and other issues.
Fukuyama also called for an early enforcement of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test
Ban Treaty and an early commencement and conclusion of negotiations for a
Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.
At the press conference, Fukuyama said that he could feel momentum gathering
for a successful conclusion of the conference, noting that the United States is
engaging the NPT meeting proactively this time, compared with its stance five
years ago.
''I hope we will be able to work out a substantive agreement in a month,'' he
said, adding though he cannot be overly optimistic because of the position of
Iran.
If participants reach an accord which survivors of the atomic bombings may
accept positively, the NPT conference will be credited as a success, Fukuyama
said.
The NPT review conference has been held every five years to assess the
performance of the pact. The treaty was extended indefinitely in 1995.
==Kyodo