DATE=9/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238963
TITLE=U-S/JAPAN--NORTH KOREA (L ONLY)
BYLINE=GIL BUTLER
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN NEW YORK, JAPANESE AND AMERICAN FOREIGN AND DEFENSE
MINISTERS HELD THEIR ANNUAL SECURITY CONSULTATION (SUNDAY) AS THE
U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. CORRESPONDENT
GIL BUTLER REPORTS FROM NEW YORK, JAPAN CONTINUES TO BALK AT
PROVIDING ONE-BILLION DOLLARS TO NORTH KOREA FOR SAFER NUCLEAR
POWER PLANTS BECAUSE OF PYONGYANG'S RECENT TEST OF A MULTI-STAGE
MISSILE THAT SOARED OVER JAPAN.
TEXT: AMERICAN AND JAPANESE MINISTERS AGREED FULLY ON THE
CONCERN CAUSED BY THE AUGUST 31ST MISSILE LAUNCH BY NORTH KOREA
WHICH THE UNITED STATES BELIEVES WAS A FAILED ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH A
SMALL SATELITE. BUT THE TWO COUNTRIES DISAGREE ABOUT JAPAN'S
PROVIDING FUNDS FOR THE KOREAN PENINSULA DEVELOPMENT
ORGANIZATION, KEDO.
THE ORGANIZATION WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE 1994 AGREEMENT WITH
NORTH KOREA THAT WAS TO END ITS ATTEMPT AT DEVELOPING NUCLEAR
WEAPONS. JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER FUKUSHIRO KOUMURA MADE IT
PLAIN JAPAN IS NOT YET READY TO RELEASE THE ONE BILLION
DOLLARS--HE SPOKE THROUGH A TRANSLATOR.
/// KOUMURA TRANSLATOR ACT ///
THE NORTH KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCH WAS OVERFLEW JAPAN
WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING, ADVANCE NOTIFICATION AND
AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND, WE CANNOT IMPLEMENT THE KEDO
AGREEMENT AS IF THERE WAS NO MISSILE LAUNCH. THAT WOULD
ONLY GIVE A MISLEADING SIGNAL TO THE NORTH KOREANS.
/// END ACT ///
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT AGREED WITH THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE NORTH
KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCH AND SAID THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO
MAKE IT CLEAR TO PYONGYANG THAT IT SHOULD END ITS MISSILE
PROGRAM. BUT SHE SAID, IT IS ESSENTIAL THE UNITED STATES AND
JAPAN LIVE UP TO THEIR SIDE OF THE AGREEMENT WITH NORTH KOREA.
/// ALBRIGHT ACT ///
WE ALSO TAKE THE NORTH KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCH VERY
SERIOUSLY AND CONSIDER IT A DANGEROUS WAY OF MOVING
FORWARD AND HAVE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR TO THE NORTH
KOREANS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. WE BELIEVE THAT IT
IS NOT A SOLUTION TO THE MISSILE ISSUE NOT TO LIVE UP
KEDO -- ALL OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THAT -- AND TO THE
AGREED FRAMEWORK. BECAUSE THE AGREED FRAMEWORK IS AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF HOW WE DEAL WITH THE VARIOUS THREATS
AND PROBLEMS POSED BY NORTH KOREA.
/// END ACT ///
FURTHER TALKS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEDO ARE TO BE HELD THIS
WEEK HERE IN NEW YORK.
IN ADDITION TO NORTH KOREA, THE JAPANESE, AND AMERICAN MINISTERS
AGREED TO FURTHER STUDY OF WHETHER THE TWO COUNTRIES CAN
COOPERATE ON DEVELOPING A BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE -- SOMETHING
JAPAN IS EVEN MORE INTERESTED IN NOW, SINCE THE NORTH KOREAN
MISSILE LAUNCH. A SENIOR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL DESCRIBED
THE DISCUSSIONS AS VERY PRELIMINARY. (SIGNED)
NEB/MGB/ENE/RAE
20-Sep-98 3:12 PM EDT (1912 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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