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N Korea blasts Japan`s plan to host WMD intercept drill

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Beijing, Aug 7, Kyodo/OANA/IRNA -- North Korea on Saturday blasted 
Japan`s plan to host a multinational marine exercise on intercepting 
weapons of mass destruction in October, saying it runs counter to a 
bilateral agreement signed in 2002, official media reported. 
"Japan`s behavior diametrically runs counter to the DPRK-Japan 
Pyongyang Declaration in which both sides committed themselves not to 
take any action against each other`s security," the (North) Korean 
Central News Agency quoted a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman 
as saying. DPRK is an acronym of the Democratic People`s Republic of 
Korea, North Korea`s official name. 
The `double-faced attitude of the Japanese authorities` in 
planning to conduct the exercise while promising to implement the 
declaration will `only heighten the vigilance among servicepersons and
the people of the DPRK`, the spokesman was quoted as saying. 
The remarks are the first criticism against Japan through official
commentary since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang in
May for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. 
They also come ahead of a working-level meeting between the two 
countries scheduled to be held in the near future. The meeting is 
expected to precede the resumption of formal bilateral talks to 
normalize diplomatic ties. 
Under the Pyongyang Declaration signed in September 2002, the two 
countries are committed to working to establish diplomatic relations 
by resolving outstanding issues. 
Japan is aiming to comprehensively resolve the issue of North 
Korea`s abductions of Japanese citizens as well as its nuclear 
development and missile programs before forging diplomatic ties with 
Pyongyang. 
Japan plans to host the 15-nation Proliferation Security 
Initiative drill in waters off Tokyo Bay. The exercise will be the 
first of its kind to be held in Asia, and Japan has said it hopes 
China and South Korea will also join the US-led drill. 
The PSI is intended to block the spread of nuclear, chemical and 
biological weapons and related materials by seizing them in transit. 
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