DPRK to make positive efforts to implement Pyongyang Declaration

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea said Saturday it would make positive efforts as ever to implement the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration signed in 2002.

The move came after a 90-minute meeting here between top leaderof the DPRK Kim Jong-il and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Saturday morning.

It was the second summit between Koizumi and Kim since the two leaders met in Pyongyang in September 2002, when Koizumi launched a historic visit to the DPRK and signed the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration.

During the meeting, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the two sides reaffirmed the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration, discussed issues related to its implementation and exchanged views on the overall international issues and on a series of matters arising in improving the bilateral relations.

Kim Jong-il clarified the principled issues arising in improving the DPRK-Japan ties, the KCNA said.

"It is not beneficial in every respect that the two countries have been in the abnormal relationship for over half a century since the end of the war, though they were close to each other andhad deep relations historically," Kim said.

He indicated that for the two countries to be on good terms, coexistence and seeking common prosperity are in line with their interests and in favor of peace and stability in Asia and the restof the world.

"There would be no problems insoluble if the two countries determine and buckle down to settling them from a broad perspective to meet the desire and interests of the two peoples asit is the historic mission facing us, politicians, to improve the abnormal DPRK-Japan relations," Kim noted.

Kim stressed that progress in improving the bilateral relations would largely depend on what an attitude and stand the ally of Japan will take.

The KCNA hailed the meeting between Kim and Koizumi as "an important and historic event in restoring the confidence, improving the relations between the two countries and promoting peace and stability in Asia and the rest of the world."

During the talks, Kim agreed to let five family members of Japanese abductees go to Japan, a move widely seen as a breakthrough in relations between the two countries.

Kim also said DPRK wants a Korean Peninsula free from nuclear weapons, and DPRK is willing to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through six-party talks, according to the Japanese prime minister.

For its part, Japan promised to extend 250,000 tons of food aidand 10 million US dollars worth of medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the DPRK.

Koizumi left here for Japan at 6.50 p.m. local time while five of the family members of Japanese abductees departed for Tokyo on board another plane provided by the Japanese government.

The KCNA said earlier that Koizumi' meeting with Kim was intended to "restore the relations of confidence between the two countries." Japan and the DPRK has not established diplomatic ties so far.

Source: Xinhua