Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon is to meet his Japanese counterpart, Foreign Minister Aso, tomorrow. The ministers will discuss several possible resolutions.

Ban met his US counterpart, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was visiting Seoul, followed by Aso. Ban reconfirmed that he and his partners concur with sincere compliance with the UN sanctions on North Korea. Additionally, he stressed that the three allies will follow their previously agreed principle of diplomatic measures to resolve the issue of North Korea’s nuclear test.

It is forecast that during the meeting tomorrow between Ban and Aso, they will discuss diplomatic resolutions on North Korea’s nuclear test as well as bilateral cooperation to implement the UN sanctions on North Korea.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who already had diplomatic meetings with Korea and Japan, arrived in Beijing to meet her counterpart on Friday. Her great attention would be whether Chinese diplomats returning from Pyongyang had managed to persuade North Korea to cool the nuclear tensions.

In particular, Rice is expected to receive notes of a meeting between former foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. It is forecast that the two top diplomats will exchange their viewpoints during the meeting, and Tang will deliver North Korea’s stance to the Secretary of State.

In the event Mr. Tang brings a message from Kim Jung Il regarding whether North Korea will conduct another nuclear test or the regime will return to the six-party talks, this meeting between Rice and Tang can be a barometer for the near future.

입력시간: 2006. 10.21. 09:31