ID :
122324
Sat, 05/15/2010 - 23:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/122324
The shortlink copeid
Japan, China, S. Korea to `calmly watch` probe into S. Korean sinking
GYEONGJU, South Korea, May 15 Kyodo -
The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea agreed Saturday to
''calmly'' await the outcome of the investigation into the sinking of a South
Korean naval vessel in March amid growing suspicions about North Korea's
involvement in the incident.
In the meeting in South Korea, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada referred
to the possibility of putting on hold the six-party talks on North Korea's
nuclear program if Pyongyang is found to have been involved in the incident,
while Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expressed hope for an early
resumption of the stalled talks, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
The trilateral meeting followed North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's visit to
China earlier in the month when he expressed his willingness to provide
favorable conditions for restarting the six-party talks, which the North said
it would quit last year.
''It is the three countries' shared awareness that we should watch calmly the
outcome of the investigation,'' Okada said after the meeting, which was aimed
at laying the groundwork for a three-way summit to be held May 29-30 on the
South Korean island of Jeju.
But Okada admitted that there were ''some differences'' among the three
ministers over the prospects for resuming the talks, which bring together the
two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.
''I said that if North Korea's involvement in the incident becomes clear, it
would not allow for the holding of the six-party talks,'' Okada told reporters.
South Korean foreign minister Yu Myung Hwan was quoted as telling his
counterparts that what is important is to ''deal appropriately'' with the
sinking incident, which occurred on March 26 near the maritime border with the
North and left 46 crew members dead.
Meanwhile, Yang said China is making efforts toward the resumption of the talks
as chair and made remarks that showed his ''expectations for an early
resumption,'' according to the Japanese official.
Okada arrived in the southern South Korean city of Gyeongju on Saturday
afternoon to attend the trilateral meeting, which also touched on regional
economic cooperation and nuclear disarmament.
Okada, Yang and Yu viewed positively the deepening cooperation on economy and
trade between the three countries, the official said.
In early May, the three countries began a joint study toward starting
government-level negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement.
Okada, who is scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday, also held bilateral talks
with Yang and will meet with Yu on Sunday on the sidelines of the trilateral
meeting.
Attention was focused on the degree of consensus the three countries would
achieve at Saturday's talks with regard to the sinking.
Sources close to the six-party talks had earlier said that Japan, the United
States and South Korea had agreed that there is a high likelihood that an
attack by North Korea was responsible for the sinking.
The three countries have also started considering how they would respond when
the outcome of the investigation into the incident is announced, possibly
around May 20.
But a two-page joint press release issued after the meeting only said in
relation to the incident, ''We expressed our condolences for the loss of many
lives due to the sinking of the ROK navy ship 'Cheonan' on March 26, and
exchanged views on the incident.''
ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
There was also no reference to the six-party talks in the press release.
North Korea left the six-way talks in April 2009 in protest at the U.N.
Security Council's censure of what the country said was a rocket launch the
same month, but which was widely seen as a long-range missile test.
Pyongyang fueled tensions the following month with its second nuclear test
which resulted in increased U.N. sanctions on the country.
North Korea has said it wants U.N. sanctions lifted and hopes to hold talks
with the United States on a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean
War before it rejoins the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear
ambitions.
North Korea has denied involvement in the sinking.
==Kyodo
The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea agreed Saturday to
''calmly'' await the outcome of the investigation into the sinking of a South
Korean naval vessel in March amid growing suspicions about North Korea's
involvement in the incident.
In the meeting in South Korea, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada referred
to the possibility of putting on hold the six-party talks on North Korea's
nuclear program if Pyongyang is found to have been involved in the incident,
while Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expressed hope for an early
resumption of the stalled talks, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
The trilateral meeting followed North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's visit to
China earlier in the month when he expressed his willingness to provide
favorable conditions for restarting the six-party talks, which the North said
it would quit last year.
''It is the three countries' shared awareness that we should watch calmly the
outcome of the investigation,'' Okada said after the meeting, which was aimed
at laying the groundwork for a three-way summit to be held May 29-30 on the
South Korean island of Jeju.
But Okada admitted that there were ''some differences'' among the three
ministers over the prospects for resuming the talks, which bring together the
two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.
''I said that if North Korea's involvement in the incident becomes clear, it
would not allow for the holding of the six-party talks,'' Okada told reporters.
South Korean foreign minister Yu Myung Hwan was quoted as telling his
counterparts that what is important is to ''deal appropriately'' with the
sinking incident, which occurred on March 26 near the maritime border with the
North and left 46 crew members dead.
Meanwhile, Yang said China is making efforts toward the resumption of the talks
as chair and made remarks that showed his ''expectations for an early
resumption,'' according to the Japanese official.
Okada arrived in the southern South Korean city of Gyeongju on Saturday
afternoon to attend the trilateral meeting, which also touched on regional
economic cooperation and nuclear disarmament.
Okada, Yang and Yu viewed positively the deepening cooperation on economy and
trade between the three countries, the official said.
In early May, the three countries began a joint study toward starting
government-level negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement.
Okada, who is scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday, also held bilateral talks
with Yang and will meet with Yu on Sunday on the sidelines of the trilateral
meeting.
Attention was focused on the degree of consensus the three countries would
achieve at Saturday's talks with regard to the sinking.
Sources close to the six-party talks had earlier said that Japan, the United
States and South Korea had agreed that there is a high likelihood that an
attack by North Korea was responsible for the sinking.
The three countries have also started considering how they would respond when
the outcome of the investigation into the incident is announced, possibly
around May 20.
But a two-page joint press release issued after the meeting only said in
relation to the incident, ''We expressed our condolences for the loss of many
lives due to the sinking of the ROK navy ship 'Cheonan' on March 26, and
exchanged views on the incident.''
ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
There was also no reference to the six-party talks in the press release.
North Korea left the six-way talks in April 2009 in protest at the U.N.
Security Council's censure of what the country said was a rocket launch the
same month, but which was widely seen as a long-range missile test.
Pyongyang fueled tensions the following month with its second nuclear test
which resulted in increased U.N. sanctions on the country.
North Korea has said it wants U.N. sanctions lifted and hopes to hold talks
with the United States on a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean
War before it rejoins the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear
ambitions.
North Korea has denied involvement in the sinking.
==Kyodo
