The Japanese delegation arrived in Beijing Sunday evening to attend the fourth round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, scheduled to begin Tuesday.??

The delegation is led by Sasae Kenichiro, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.

 

Kenichiro said at a news briefing when he arrived at the hotel that Japan is willing to join hands with other parties to make utmost efforts to promote the talks, expressing the hope that the talks could help resolve the "abduction issue" between Japan and North Korea.

 

However, North Korea said Wednesday in a commentary of the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that it would not deal with Japan even in the six-party talks due to Japan's unjust stance over the talks and the "abduction issue."

 

The delegations of the North and South Korea and the US have arrived earlier. The Russian delegation will arrive Monday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2005)