Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007
SINGAPORE (Kyodo) Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday that U.S. President George W. Bush told him last week that he will consider Japan's position when deciding whether to remove North Korea from the U.S. list of terrorism-sponsoring states.
The president "clearly said he will consider Japan's position," Fukuda told reporters accompanying him on his Singapore visit. He was referring to Nov. 16 talks held with Bush during his first U.S. trip since taking office in September.
In joint press remarks after the talks, Bush said he "will not forget" North Korea's past abduction of Japanese nationals but stopped short of commenting about the blacklist. The abduction issue is an emotional topic in Japan in connection with diplomacy with North Korea.
Fukuda promised Bush his utmost effort to win Diet approval of a contentious bill to resume Japan's naval refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. But in Singapore, Fukuda stopped short of making clear remarks on the issue.
"It's a matter for the Diet," Fukuda simply said when asked if he thinks his ruling coalition should extend the Diet session beyond its scheduled Dec. 15 end for an early passage of the bill to help U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan.
The bill last week cleared the Lower House, which is dominated by the Fukuda-led Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc. But the opposition, which controls the Upper House, has vowed to vote it down in the chamber, which has yet to begin deliberations on the bill.
Fukuda declined to elaborate on the possibility of the Lower House holding a rare second vote on the bill after the Upper House rejects it.
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