Since the fourth round of six-party talks opened Tuesday
morning, the Japanese side has raised the abduction issue several
times. To stress the issue in this multi-party mechanism will
distract the talks from its focus of the Korean Peninsula nuclear
issue and will not help the settlement of the abduction issue
itself, experts noted.???
Professor Jin Canrong, with the Institute of International
Studies under the Renmin University of China, said Thursday, "The
abduction issue has aroused great attention inside Japan, and
Japan's desire to resolve the issue is understandable."
"The focal point of six-party talks, however, is the Korean
nuclear issue. The abduction issue should be resolved step by step
within the bilateral framework between Japan and North Korea," Jin
added.
Japanese delegation head Kenichiro Sasae said at the opening
session of the current round of six-party talks that the principle
for Japan to normalize its relationship with North Korea under the
Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration remained unchanged. But
issues such as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and the
abductions must be comprehensively resolved for the two countries
to be able to normalize diplomatic ties, he said.
Delegates from the other sides have expressed dissatisfaction
about Japan's emphasis on the abduction issue. Prior to this, North
Korea criticized that Japan obstructed six-party talks under the
pretext of the abduction issue. It also said it would not hold
one-on-one contact with the Japanese side in the current round of
six-party talks.
Song Min-soon, South Korean chief negotiator, pointed out at the
six-party talks' opening ceremony that the current round of talks
should focus on the Korean nuclear issue. "It is inappropriate to
distract the talks from its focal point," he said.
At the opening session, the US chief negotiator, Christopher
Hill, also required the talks to concentrate on the nuclear
issue.
Moreover, the Russian delegation head Alexander Alexeyev noted
before the talks opened that if negotiators make use of the talks
to solve bilateral problems, the talks are bound to fail.
The spokesperson with the Chinese Foreign Ministry said several
times, "China appreciates any proposals and opinions that are
conducive to the atmosphere and advancement of the talks."
Jin Linbo, head of the Asia-Pacific Office under the China
Research Institute of International Studies, said that given
opposition by North Korea and disapproval by other delegations, the
abduction issue would not become a topic for discussion in the
six-party talks. "This issue can be resolved only within a
bilateral framework," Jin added.
It is reported that North Korea acknowledged that it abducted 13
Japanese in the 1970s and 80s, of whom eight have died. After
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited North Korea, the
remaining five and their family members returned to Japan. Japan
demands the North to provide death testimonials for the eight dead
Japanese and evidence about other missing Japanese.
(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2005)
