U.S. delegate to 6-way talks says meeting with China produced ideas
January 12, 2006The chief U.S. delegate to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions said Thursday a meeting with his Chinese counterpart produced ''some ideas'' for resuming the stalled negotiations. But Christopher Hill, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, declined to elaborate on those ideas when he spoke to reporters after his talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, saying the timing was not right.
G-8, Pacific Rim nations vow to cooperate to fight piracy, terrorism
January 12, 2006Transport ministerial-level officials from the Group of Eight nations and six Pacific Rim countries pledged Thursday to join hands to fight piracy in the Malacca Strait and prevent terrorism targeting aircraft in statements they adopted on the first day of their two-day security talks. The participants in the Ministerial Conference on International Transport Security, the first such conference involving the 14 nations, also said in a separate statement they will consider setting up an international working group to enhance railway and transit security.
Japan eyes putting integrated ODA agency under Cabinet Office
January 12, 2006The Japanese government is considering integrating organs in charge of implementing Japan's foreign aid and putting the new entity under the control of the Cabinet Office, government sources said Thursday. The idea is meant to pave the way for the prime minister's office to take the lead in aid diplomacy over the Foreign Ministry, but the ministry will retain part of the work, the sources said.
Japan to resume subcabinet-level talks with S. Korea, China
January 12, 2006Japan and South Korea have reached a broad agreement to resume subcabinet-level talks later this month to pave the way for realizing a visit to Japan by South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun that had been scheduled for December but postponed after Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine last October, Japanese government sources said Thursday. Japan is also likely to resume subcabinet-level talks with China in Tokyo sometime in February and hopes to lead the talks toward improving bilateral ties, the sources said.