Aso, Medvedev See Need for Strong Resolution on N. Korea

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed Saturday that the U.N. Security
Council should adopt a strong resolution including sanctions against North
Korea following its recent nuclear test.

In their talks over the phone, Aso told Medvedev that the nuclear
test is impermissible.
A strong Security Council resolution including additional sanctions
needs to be adopted swiftly to show the international community's clear
message against the nuclear testing, the Japanese leader said.
The underground nuclear test, conducted on Monday, was the second
by the reclusive nation after the first test in October 2006.
Medvedev agreed with Aso and said the problem should be dealt with
properly, noting that the latest nuclear test is an obvious violation of a
2006 Security Council resolution that was adopted soon after the first
nuclear test.
The 2006 resolution demanded North Korea not conduct any further
nuclear test while urging the country to abandon all nuclear programs.
Aso and Medvedev also confirmed that the decades-old territorial
row between Japan and Russia over four northwestern Pacific islands off
Hokkaido, northern Japan, should be among agenda items at their meeting
slated to be held on the fringe of the Group of Eight summit in Italy in
July.
END