ID :
133074
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 07:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/133074
The shortlink copeid
Japan, Britain united in blaming N. Korea over sunken ship
TOKYO, July 15 Kyodo -
Japan and Britain demonstrated their unity Thursday in condemning North Korea
over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship, with their foreign ministers
welcoming a U.N. Security Council statement that blamed the North for the
incident, although without naming the country.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told a joint press conference with
visiting British Foreign Secretary William Hague that they also agreed to seek
''concrete actions'' by Pyongyang on its nuclear program, missile launches and
past abductions of Japanese nationals.
On June 9, the Security Council attacked Pyongyang in a presidential statement
over the sinking of the 1,200-ton corvette Cheonan in the Yellow Sea on March
26, which killed 46 sailors.
While stopping short of directly blaming North Korea, the statement mentioned
the results of an international investigation of the incident that concluded
that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the ship. Pyongyang insists it had
nothing to do with the incident.
Hague said Britain is ''in no doubt'' about the North's responsibility for the
incident as British experts took part in the multinational probe into the case.
Britain supports the position of South Korea over the incident and has ''no
difference with the government of Japan on our attitude to this subject,'' he
added.
''We would have preferred a stronger statement, making even clearer the
condemnation of the world for the appalling and indefensible actions of North
Korea,'' Hague said. ''It is very important that it is understood in North
Korea that there will never be any reward for such provocative acts.''
Okada and Hague also said they reached an accord to start preparations for a
new joint statement to be issued by leaders of the two countries, which will
cover such priority areas as shared values, economic prosperity and security.
The Japanese minister said he and Hague agreed that Afghanistan should come up
with specific policies for improving security conditions in the country,
promoting reconciliation and reintegration and enhancing governance during the
upcoming international meeting in Kabul to discuss Afghan reconstruction.
The two also agreed that the international community should quickly implement a
U.N. Security Council resolution that imposes fresh sanctions against Iran over
its nuclear program and urge Tehran to make ''realistic decisions,'' Okada
said.
On the economic front, Hague stressed the importance of ensuring that Japan and
Europe ''are liberalizing their trade in both directions,'' referring to the
European Union's free trade agreement with South Korea that will soon come into
effect.
''Making early progress in reducing nontariff barriers is therefore an
important priority,'' he said.
Prior to the talks with Okada, Hague told Japanese business representatives and
members of the press at the residence of British Ambassador to Japan David
Warren that eliminating trade barriers ''would be good for all our citizens.''
He cited an estimate that the maximum removal of both tariffs and nontariff
barriers in Japan could deliver 43 billion euros (4.85 trillion yen) of
additional European Union exports to Japan and 53 billion euros of additional
exports from Japan to the 27-nation bloc.
''U.K. direct investment in Japan is currently lower than in any of the major
Asian economies, even though you have the largest domestic market in the
region,'' Hague said.
He expressed his support for Japan's bid to become a permanent member of the
U.N. Security Council. ''We will one day work alongside each other as permanent
members on an expanded U.N. Security Council. We support your ambition and are
working with you to make that a reality,'' Hague said.
Earlier in the day, Hague agreed with Prime Minister Naoto Kan to enhance
bilateral relations, suggesting that the previous British government had almost
neglected ties.
''I do think that the relationship with Japan needs more attention from British
ministers,'' Hague told reporters after meeting with Kan at the prime
minister's office in Tokyo. ''My visit today is part of that.''
Hague became British foreign minister in the government of new Prime Minister
David Cameron following the general election defeat in May of the Labour Party,
which had been in power for 13 years.
==Kyodo
Japan and Britain demonstrated their unity Thursday in condemning North Korea
over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship, with their foreign ministers
welcoming a U.N. Security Council statement that blamed the North for the
incident, although without naming the country.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told a joint press conference with
visiting British Foreign Secretary William Hague that they also agreed to seek
''concrete actions'' by Pyongyang on its nuclear program, missile launches and
past abductions of Japanese nationals.
On June 9, the Security Council attacked Pyongyang in a presidential statement
over the sinking of the 1,200-ton corvette Cheonan in the Yellow Sea on March
26, which killed 46 sailors.
While stopping short of directly blaming North Korea, the statement mentioned
the results of an international investigation of the incident that concluded
that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the ship. Pyongyang insists it had
nothing to do with the incident.
Hague said Britain is ''in no doubt'' about the North's responsibility for the
incident as British experts took part in the multinational probe into the case.
Britain supports the position of South Korea over the incident and has ''no
difference with the government of Japan on our attitude to this subject,'' he
added.
''We would have preferred a stronger statement, making even clearer the
condemnation of the world for the appalling and indefensible actions of North
Korea,'' Hague said. ''It is very important that it is understood in North
Korea that there will never be any reward for such provocative acts.''
Okada and Hague also said they reached an accord to start preparations for a
new joint statement to be issued by leaders of the two countries, which will
cover such priority areas as shared values, economic prosperity and security.
The Japanese minister said he and Hague agreed that Afghanistan should come up
with specific policies for improving security conditions in the country,
promoting reconciliation and reintegration and enhancing governance during the
upcoming international meeting in Kabul to discuss Afghan reconstruction.
The two also agreed that the international community should quickly implement a
U.N. Security Council resolution that imposes fresh sanctions against Iran over
its nuclear program and urge Tehran to make ''realistic decisions,'' Okada
said.
On the economic front, Hague stressed the importance of ensuring that Japan and
Europe ''are liberalizing their trade in both directions,'' referring to the
European Union's free trade agreement with South Korea that will soon come into
effect.
''Making early progress in reducing nontariff barriers is therefore an
important priority,'' he said.
Prior to the talks with Okada, Hague told Japanese business representatives and
members of the press at the residence of British Ambassador to Japan David
Warren that eliminating trade barriers ''would be good for all our citizens.''
He cited an estimate that the maximum removal of both tariffs and nontariff
barriers in Japan could deliver 43 billion euros (4.85 trillion yen) of
additional European Union exports to Japan and 53 billion euros of additional
exports from Japan to the 27-nation bloc.
''U.K. direct investment in Japan is currently lower than in any of the major
Asian economies, even though you have the largest domestic market in the
region,'' Hague said.
He expressed his support for Japan's bid to become a permanent member of the
U.N. Security Council. ''We will one day work alongside each other as permanent
members on an expanded U.N. Security Council. We support your ambition and are
working with you to make that a reality,'' Hague said.
Earlier in the day, Hague agreed with Prime Minister Naoto Kan to enhance
bilateral relations, suggesting that the previous British government had almost
neglected ties.
''I do think that the relationship with Japan needs more attention from British
ministers,'' Hague told reporters after meeting with Kan at the prime
minister's office in Tokyo. ''My visit today is part of that.''
Hague became British foreign minister in the government of new Prime Minister
David Cameron following the general election defeat in May of the Labour Party,
which had been in power for 13 years.
==Kyodo
