ID :
161642
Wed, 02/16/2011 - 20:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/161642
The shortlink copeid
Japan, S. Korea to work for restart of FTA talks, cooperate on North+
TOKYO, Feb. 17 Kyodo -
Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung Hwan
agreed Wednesday that the two countries will work toward reviving negotiations
on a bilateral free trade agreement, which have been stalled since 2004, and
continue to cooperate in seeking North Korea's ''concrete actions'' for
denuclearization.
Maehara and Kim, who met in Tokyo for their fourth official dialogue, told a
joint press conference that they shared the view that progress should be made
first in inter-Korean dialogue before the six-party talks and other bilateral
meetings are held to urge the North to abandon its nuclear programs.
Acknowledging that working-level preliminary military talks between Seoul and
Pyongyang ended without agreement last week, Kim said South Korea is ready to
talk with North Korea if it comes back to the negotiating table.
The preliminary talks were the first bilateral dialogue since North Korea's
deadly shelling of a South Korean border island in November. The two sides
failed to even set a date for the next round of talks.
Maehara and Kim also said they agreed that the North's uranium enrichment
program revealed last November should be taken up at the U.N. Security Council.
The six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the North involve the two Koreas,
China, Japan, Russia and the United States. They have been stalled since
December 2008.
On FTA talks, the two countries agreed to hold the second round of
director-general level talks in April to prepare for the restart of
negotiations that have been deadlocked due to differences over potential tariff
cuts on farm and industrial products.
Japan and South Korea held the first director-general level talks last
September under a strong political initiative to reopen the FTA negotiations.
The bilateral FTA talks were launched in December 2003 but have been suspended
since November 2004.
South Korean manufacturers are wary of a further increase in auto and
electronic component imports from Japan, while the heavily protected Japanese
agricultural sector is concerned about cheaper farm imports from South Korea.
Maehara, meanwhile, explained to Kim Japan's basic position on a territorial
dispute with Russia over four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, which are
claimed by Japan, a Japanese official said.
Moscow has been calling for investment by countries such as South Korea and
China in projects to develop the disputed islands, but Tokyo opposes such
business activities by third countries as they would bolster Russia's control
of the islands and complicate the issue.
Turning to bilateral relations, Maehara said Japan will work toward the early
transfer of Korean archives that were taken to Japan during its 1910-1945
colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, which was promised by Prime Minister
Naoto Kan last August ahead of the centenary of Japan's annexation of the
peninsula.
Kim said he urged Tokyo to achieve progress on the issue of whether to grant
local suffrage to permanent foreign residents in Japan, including ethnic
Koreans. Maehara told Kim there are various opinions in Japan regarding the
matter and that more discussions should take place, the official said.
Maehara also expressed hope that the Japanese education ministry's screening of
history textbooks in the spring ''would not adversely affect the entirety of
bilateral relations,'' the official said.
Reference to Japan's claim over South Korean-controlled islets in the Sea of
Japan, which are known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea,
introduced in junior high school curriculum guidelines in 2008 has caused
outrage in Seoul, rattling bilateral relations.
The textbook review will be conducted based on the guidelines. The Japanese
foreign minister conveyed to Kim Tokyo's claim of sovereignty over the islets,
the official said.
Prior to his meeting with Maehara, Kim held talks with Kan at the premier's
office.
Kan expressed his eagerness to boost bilateral relations in a wide range of
areas and told Kim that he is looking forward to meeting with South Korean
President Lee Myung Bak in Japan later this year during trilateral summit talks
involving the leaders of Japan, South Korea and China, according to the
Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Kan and Kim also agreed on the importance of signing a bilateral FTA and to
strengthen cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States in
seeking the denuclearization of North Korea, the ministry said.
Kim told the news conference that he had asked Kan to make an early visit to
South Korea.
==Kyodo
Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung Hwan
agreed Wednesday that the two countries will work toward reviving negotiations
on a bilateral free trade agreement, which have been stalled since 2004, and
continue to cooperate in seeking North Korea's ''concrete actions'' for
denuclearization.
Maehara and Kim, who met in Tokyo for their fourth official dialogue, told a
joint press conference that they shared the view that progress should be made
first in inter-Korean dialogue before the six-party talks and other bilateral
meetings are held to urge the North to abandon its nuclear programs.
Acknowledging that working-level preliminary military talks between Seoul and
Pyongyang ended without agreement last week, Kim said South Korea is ready to
talk with North Korea if it comes back to the negotiating table.
The preliminary talks were the first bilateral dialogue since North Korea's
deadly shelling of a South Korean border island in November. The two sides
failed to even set a date for the next round of talks.
Maehara and Kim also said they agreed that the North's uranium enrichment
program revealed last November should be taken up at the U.N. Security Council.
The six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the North involve the two Koreas,
China, Japan, Russia and the United States. They have been stalled since
December 2008.
On FTA talks, the two countries agreed to hold the second round of
director-general level talks in April to prepare for the restart of
negotiations that have been deadlocked due to differences over potential tariff
cuts on farm and industrial products.
Japan and South Korea held the first director-general level talks last
September under a strong political initiative to reopen the FTA negotiations.
The bilateral FTA talks were launched in December 2003 but have been suspended
since November 2004.
South Korean manufacturers are wary of a further increase in auto and
electronic component imports from Japan, while the heavily protected Japanese
agricultural sector is concerned about cheaper farm imports from South Korea.
Maehara, meanwhile, explained to Kim Japan's basic position on a territorial
dispute with Russia over four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, which are
claimed by Japan, a Japanese official said.
Moscow has been calling for investment by countries such as South Korea and
China in projects to develop the disputed islands, but Tokyo opposes such
business activities by third countries as they would bolster Russia's control
of the islands and complicate the issue.
Turning to bilateral relations, Maehara said Japan will work toward the early
transfer of Korean archives that were taken to Japan during its 1910-1945
colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, which was promised by Prime Minister
Naoto Kan last August ahead of the centenary of Japan's annexation of the
peninsula.
Kim said he urged Tokyo to achieve progress on the issue of whether to grant
local suffrage to permanent foreign residents in Japan, including ethnic
Koreans. Maehara told Kim there are various opinions in Japan regarding the
matter and that more discussions should take place, the official said.
Maehara also expressed hope that the Japanese education ministry's screening of
history textbooks in the spring ''would not adversely affect the entirety of
bilateral relations,'' the official said.
Reference to Japan's claim over South Korean-controlled islets in the Sea of
Japan, which are known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea,
introduced in junior high school curriculum guidelines in 2008 has caused
outrage in Seoul, rattling bilateral relations.
The textbook review will be conducted based on the guidelines. The Japanese
foreign minister conveyed to Kim Tokyo's claim of sovereignty over the islets,
the official said.
Prior to his meeting with Maehara, Kim held talks with Kan at the premier's
office.
Kan expressed his eagerness to boost bilateral relations in a wide range of
areas and told Kim that he is looking forward to meeting with South Korean
President Lee Myung Bak in Japan later this year during trilateral summit talks
involving the leaders of Japan, South Korea and China, according to the
Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Kan and Kim also agreed on the importance of signing a bilateral FTA and to
strengthen cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States in
seeking the denuclearization of North Korea, the ministry said.
Kim told the news conference that he had asked Kan to make an early visit to
South Korea.
==Kyodo
