Japan, N. Korea open 3-track talks by agreeing on schedule
February 4, 2006Japan and North Korea began bilateral talks under a new three-track format Saturday in Beijing by agreeing on a schedule for the next few days of discussions, while staying away from the details of problems preventing them from normalizing ties, negotiators said. Under the agreement, three panels will each be given a day for talks, beginning with that on North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals on Sunday, said Koichi Haraguchi, Japanese ambassador in charge of Japan-North Korea normalization talks.