| Japan's Komura, UK's Miliband To Meet, Discuss DPRK, Burma at 1st Talks |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Sunday, 29 June 2008 06:30 | |
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By Janice Tang Kyoto, June 26 Kyodo -- Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband are set to discuss regional issues such as North Korea and Myanmar as they met for their first official talks on Thursday ahead of the Group of Eight foreign ministerial meeting in Kyoto. Komura and Miliband are also likely to exchange views on climate change and African development, and to affirm both sides' hopes to further bilateral exchanges as this year marks the 150th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Britain. The two ministers are also expected to confirm cooperation at the July 7-9 G-8 summit, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said earlier. On North Korea, Komura plans to call for Britain's understanding and cooperation to keep the pressure on North Korea to come clean on its past abductions of Japanese nationals. Unlike Japan, Britain has diplomatic relations with North Korea. Tokyo hopes that Britain and other European nations that have delegations in Pyongyang will continue to take up the abduction issue in their engagements with the North, the official said. Komura and Miliband will be joined by their counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and United States at the G-8 ministers' meeting from the evening. |
