Japan says it will hold government-level talks with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea later this month, the first time in four years. Chief government spokesman Osamu Fujimura says preliminary talks will be held on August 29th in Beijing, to discuss "various pending issues".
The talks were scheduled after the Red Cross Society of the two countries met in Beijing to discuss the repatriation of the remains of Japanese soldiers. Tokyo and Pyongyang have not held government-level talks since August 2008. This was because of animosity over their colonial past and disputes over the DPRK’s nuclear program and its kidnapping of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.
Fujimura says the unresolved cases of the kidnapped Japanese citizens would be on the agenda. He also says the current tension with South Korea will NOT hinder the cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the US.
Osamu Fujimura, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, said, "Japan is in close contact with South Korea and the United States, and there will be no change in our continued cooperation. Going forward, we do not think there will be negative influence on cooperation between Japan and the United States, between Japan and South Korea, nor between South Korea and the United States."
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