The United States on Saturday hailed what has been achieved during Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's one-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"We welcome the results of Prime Minister Koizumi's visit and hope for further progress on the issues of concern to the United States and Japan," State Department spokeswoman Brenda Greenberg told reporters.

"We note that Prime Minister Koizumi stressed the necessity for a complete nuclear disarmament and international verification," Greenberg added, referring to the DPRK nuclear issue.

She said US Secretary of State Colin Powell and his Japanese counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi discussed by phone the outcome of the visit.

During his second trip to the DPRK on Saturday, Koizumi met DPRK top leader Kim Jong-Il and both sides discussed the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula as well as other issues of mutual concern.

Source: Xinhua