Opposition leaders discuss coming Japan-North Korea summit with prime minister

Leaders of the four opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, met with Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichi on September 6 to discuss the Japan-North Korea summit talks scheduled for September 17.

In explaining what he has in mind, Prime Minister Koizumi said:

"Although there are pending issues between Japan and North Korea, normalizing relations is important for peace in Japan, North Korea, the rest of Asia and the world. I want to ascertain the possibility of resuming negotiations. I want to make sure that there is the possibility of resuming bilateral negotiations. I want to frankly raise the issues of abduction, security and history in a comprehensive manner with the past, present and future in perspective."

After listening to Koizumi, JCP Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo made the following points:

The JCP has long maintained that official channels for negotiation be set up between the governments of Japan and North Korea. The JCP welcomes the prime minister's latest decision to hold talks with the North Korean leader as one of historical significance.

North Korea is the only country with which Japan has not yet undergone post-WWII disposition.

As the government states, normalizing relations with a country which Japan colonized in the past is a task that Japan should address as its historical obligation.

Normalizing relations with North Korea will greatly contribute not only to peace and friendship between our two countries but also to peace and stability in North-east Asia and the rest of the world.

The JCP strongly hopes to see the summit talks mark the first step toward normalizing relations between our two countries, and the JCP will inhesitatingly offer the necessary cooperation to realize this.

The prime minister is stressing that normalization talks will be comprehensive. Japanese and North Korean senior foreign ministry officials have agreed that the two leaders will deal with "various questions in connection with the normalization of relations," including the issue of resolving the past problems, and "issues pending between the two governments," including the alleged abduction of Japanese nationals and other humanitarian issues. The agreement says that the approach is one of seeking progress in a comprehensive manner, so that the two leaders will study the possibility of an early resumption of normalization talks. This seems to be a wise approach of seeking a break-through in the present situation in a positive way.

I think that this comprehensive approach that puts all pending issues raised by both sides on the table in quest of a resolution is reasonable in that it does not prioritize any particular item on the agenda as a condition for proceeding with other items.

Although the JCP hopes that the talks will be fruitful, it does not accept the idea that the talks will be a failure if every pending issue is not resolved in a round of talks.

The most important thing is that both leaders confirm their political will to achieve normalization and resolve the pending issues. This will be followed by resumption of discussions on those issues. If a negotiating channel is opened in preparation for normalization, I think that the summit talks will prove to be very significant. That's the result I hope to see.

Prime Minister Koizumi stated:

"It will be a gain for North Korea if it becomes a member of the international community. I will make this point. And I want the negotiation to include issues comprehensively. I will listen to your advice and opinions."

Shii said, "The JCP and the prime minister are opposed to each other on various basic issues of national politics. But the JCP will cooperate with the talks between the leaders of Japan and North Korea, since the JCP believes that the prime minister is set on the right course. I wish you good results."

In the meeting Hatoyama Yukio, Democratic Party of Japan leader, said that the prime minister in negotiating with North Korea should be resolute, by giving top priority to Japan's national interests. Particularly referring to the abduction issue, he said that no hasty progress toward normalizing relations should be made, even in the event of a small achievement on the abduction issue.

Ichiro Ozawa, Liberal Party leader, said, "The Japanese government position on the abduction issue, unidentified ships, and nuclear weapons in North Korea is not clear. The visit and negotiations without clear policies will be meaningless, and can even bring about adverse effects."

Takako Doi, Social Democratic Party leader, said that in principle she supports the prime minister's visit of North Korea. (end)