Sep 22 09:29 PM US/EasternNEW YORK, Sept. 22 (AP) - (Kyodo) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told her Japanese counterpart Saturday the United States hopes Japan remains committed to its role in the U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan.
Rice, who met Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, said Washington will not seek to promote relations with North Korea at the expense of ones with Japan, a Japanese official told reporters.
On Afghanistan, Machimura was quoted as signaling Tokyo's determination to continue refueling support in the Indian Ocean for the U.S.-led military operations in and around the country in response to the international community's wishes.
Rice voiced hope for Japan's continued role in the mission, saying a recently adopted U.N. Security Council resolution expressing its appreciation to countries participating in the Afghan operations, including Japan, reflects the international community's expectations.
The Japanese government has been facing difficulties securing parliamentary approval for the continuation of the refueling mission since the opposition camp took control of the House of Councillors following an election in July.
Japan's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, has expressed its opposition to extending the current law authorizing the mission, which is set to expire Nov. 1, saying the operations have no U.N. mandate.
Against this backdrop, the U.N. Security Council recently adopted a resolution expressing its appreciation to countries participating in the U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan.
Japanese officials are hoping that the resolution will help convince the DPJ to reconsider its opposition to the refueling mission.
As for North Korea, Machimura told Rice the next Japanese government, which former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda is expected to lead, will continue to try to help resolve a row over Pyongyang's nuclear programs, the official said.
He was quoted as outlining Tokyo's position of improving its ties with Pyongyang by settling the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens, and seeking U.S. cooperation on such issues as whether to remove the country from the U.S. list of terrorist- sponsoring nations.
In response, Rice assured Machimura that the United States has no intention of sacrificing relations with Japan to improve its relationship with Pyongyang.
Washington recently decided to delist North Korea as early as by the end of the year, depending on its progress in nuclear disarmament and improving Japan-North Korea ties.
Japan is worried the United States could move to take the North off the terror list as six-way talks on ending Pyongyang's nuclear programs make strides in the absence of progress on the abduction issue. Many in Tokyo see the abduction issue as linked to the U.S. terrorism designation.
North Korea admitted in 2002 for the first time that it abducted 13 Japanese nationals in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Five of them have since returned to Japan. North Korea says the other eight are dead and maintains the abduction issue has been resolved.
Japan disputes that and wants North Korea to reinvestigate the cases and return any surviving abductees.
Washington put North Korea on the list in January 1988 after the bombing of a South Korean airliner the preceding year. The Korean Air flight crashed into the Indian Ocean, killing all 115 people on board.
Rice and Machimura reaffirmed their continued cooperation in moving the six-way process forward before a plenary session of the nuclear talks to be held in Beijing for four days beginning Thursday.
Concerning Iran's nuclear program, Rice said there is a need for a new U.N. Security Council resolution leveling additional sanctions on Tehran, the Japanese official said.
An International Atomic Energy Agency report Aug. 30 said Iran has continued its uranium enrichment program, despite demands from the council that they be suspended.
Iran has consistently defended its nuclear program as intended only for peaceful purposes.
The council adopted a sanctions resolution against Iran last December but imposed fresh sanctions in March after Tehran refused to suspend its enrichment activities.
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