Governmental Consultations between Japan and North Korea
(December 24-25, Beijing)
(Overview)
December 26, 2005
1. Items Agreed Upon at the Consultations
| (1) | Japan and North Korea, taking into account the Joint Statement of the Fourth Round of the Six-Party Talks, will take steps for the settlement of the unfortunate past and the outstanding issues of concern with a view to normalizing their relations at an early date, in accordance with the spirit and basic principles expressed in the Pyongyang Declaration. | ||||||
| (2) | Both parties, based on the proposal made by Japan, will hold three separate consultations concurrently and promptly upon the establishment of a comprehensive framework for the consultations.
|
||||||
| (3) | Both parties, with a view to holding the three consultations by the end of January 2006 if circumstances permit, will proceed with the necessary preparations. | ||||||
| (4) | Both parties confirmed to make sincere efforts and take concrete measures to settle the outstanding issues of concern which are of interest to the two sides such as the abduction and security issues. |
2. Abduction Issue
| (1) | The Japanese side once again strongly requested (a) the early return of all surviving abductees, (b) a full account of the abductions, and (c) the handover of the suspects. In addition, Japan again demanded the North Korean side to provide explanations and materials which the Japanese side will deem convincing, including those concerning the case of the "remains" of Ms. Megumi Yokota. Japan also again raised the issues of the "missing Japanese nationals about whom the possibility of abduction by North Korea cannot be ruled out" and the handover of the "Yodo-go" suspects. |
| (2) | In response, the North Korean side reiterated its position that the abduction issue had been solved and did not provide any new information, claiming that this meeting was not held to discuss that issue. The North Korean side, however, ultimately confirmed that it "will make sincere efforts and take concrete measures to settle the outstanding issues of concern," clearly referring to the abduction issue. |
| (3) | The Japanese side once again stressed that "unless a variety of issues including the abduction issue are resolved, there can be no normalization of relations." |
3. Six-Party Talks
The Japanese side conveyed to the North Korean side that it must respond to calls for the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, that North Korea had nothing to gain from the stalemate of the Talks due to the mutual distrust between the United States (US) and North Korea, that the US measure concerning "money laundering" was unrelated to the Talks, and that North Korea must make efforts to advance the Talks and enhance Japan-North Korea and US-North Korea relations as a whole. The North Korean side stated that it would relay those points to Pyongyang.
Back to Index