ID :
144857
Tue, 10/05/2010 - 10:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/144857
The shortlink copeid
Japan wins understanding from 3 nations over row with China
BRUSSELS, Oct. 4 (Kyodo) - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Monday he won understanding from the leaders of South Korea, Australia and Vietnam over Tokyo's handling of a row with China over maritime collisions in early September near the disputed Senkaku Islands.
''Since Japan-China relations are very important for the Asia-Pacific region
and the world, we are responding to the matter calmly from a broader
perspective,'' Kan told reporters in Brussels after separate talks with the
three leaders.
The three meetings were held prior to the two-day summit of the Asia-Europe
Meeting.
A Japanese official who briefed reporters declined to comment further on the
detailed exchanges in these meetings.
In a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, the two leaders agreed
to continue to work closely together and with the United States in addressing
the issue of North Korea.
During the talks, Kan and Lee agreed to monitor developments in North Korea
where Kim Jong Il's third son Jong Un has emerged as the likely successor to
Kim as the nation's leader after being brought into the leadership.
The two leaders also shared the view that reopening the six-party talks on
North Korea's nuclear ambitions must lead to a resolution of the problem and
that Pyongyang needs to show its commitment to improving the situation through
specific actions, the official said.
Lee hailed Kan's August statement in which he apologized to South Korea for
Japan's past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, and asked for follow-up
steps, the official said.
The South Korean president also noted that there are a number of issues on
which Seoul and Tokyo can cooperate.
The two leaders last held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Group of 20
summit in Toronto in June.
Kan also met with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Vietnamese Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung prior to the biennial summit of the Asian and European
countries in Brussels.
Gillard told Kan that Australia will continue cooperation to promote
negotiations for a free trade agreement with Japan. Kan was quoted as saying in
reply, ''Although there are difficult issues, we want to cooperate for the
development of Japan and Australia.''
The two leaders also agreed to work closely to try to realize U.N. Security
Council reform.
ASEM, launched in 1996, is currently made up of 43 countries -- the 27 members
of the European Union and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, plus China, India, Japan, Mongolia, Pakistan and South Korea.
Australia, New Zealand and Russia will be officially admitted as new ASEM
partners at the two-day summit through Tuesday, bringing the total number of
member economies to 46 plus two organizations.
''Since Japan-China relations are very important for the Asia-Pacific region
and the world, we are responding to the matter calmly from a broader
perspective,'' Kan told reporters in Brussels after separate talks with the
three leaders.
The three meetings were held prior to the two-day summit of the Asia-Europe
Meeting.
A Japanese official who briefed reporters declined to comment further on the
detailed exchanges in these meetings.
In a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, the two leaders agreed
to continue to work closely together and with the United States in addressing
the issue of North Korea.
During the talks, Kan and Lee agreed to monitor developments in North Korea
where Kim Jong Il's third son Jong Un has emerged as the likely successor to
Kim as the nation's leader after being brought into the leadership.
The two leaders also shared the view that reopening the six-party talks on
North Korea's nuclear ambitions must lead to a resolution of the problem and
that Pyongyang needs to show its commitment to improving the situation through
specific actions, the official said.
Lee hailed Kan's August statement in which he apologized to South Korea for
Japan's past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, and asked for follow-up
steps, the official said.
The South Korean president also noted that there are a number of issues on
which Seoul and Tokyo can cooperate.
The two leaders last held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Group of 20
summit in Toronto in June.
Kan also met with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Vietnamese Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung prior to the biennial summit of the Asian and European
countries in Brussels.
Gillard told Kan that Australia will continue cooperation to promote
negotiations for a free trade agreement with Japan. Kan was quoted as saying in
reply, ''Although there are difficult issues, we want to cooperate for the
development of Japan and Australia.''
The two leaders also agreed to work closely to try to realize U.N. Security
Council reform.
ASEM, launched in 1996, is currently made up of 43 countries -- the 27 members
of the European Union and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, plus China, India, Japan, Mongolia, Pakistan and South Korea.
Australia, New Zealand and Russia will be officially admitted as new ASEM
partners at the two-day summit through Tuesday, bringing the total number of
member economies to 46 plus two organizations.
