Jan 22 10:22 PM US/Eastern(AP) - TOKYO, Jan. 23 (Kyodo) — New U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton assured Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone on Friday that Washington sees its alliance with Tokyo as a "cornerstone" of U.S. policy in Asia and agreed to cooperate on dealing with the North Korean nuclear and abduction issues, Nakasone said.
In their first telephone conversation since Clinton took office, the two agreed to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. security alliance, including steadfastly implementing the agreed relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam and other realignment measures regarding the U.S. military presence in Japan.
"Overall, I felt the strong anticipation (the United States has) for Japan," Nakasone said at a news conference. "I was especially impressed that she mentioned at the very beginning that Japan is a 'cornerstone' and also expressed her sympathy for families of missing abductees."
Nakasone said Clinton assured him that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration places priority on North Korea-related issues and understands the importance to Japan of resolving Pyongyang's decades- old abductions of Japanese nationals.
They also agreed to work together on other issues such as stabilizing conditions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as tackling the global economic crisis, Foreign Ministry officials said.
With reference to utilizing "smart power," or the combination of military and diplomatic power, the two ministers agreed to continue their close cooperation in other areas, such as handling the Middle East situation, climate change and energy issues, nonproliferation and disarmament, and African development.
Clinton's emphasis on the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and the Obama administration's understanding of Japan's concerns regarding the abduction issue "reflected considerations and hopes to calm anxieties in Tokyo that Japan will be neglected," a top ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The official was referring to concern among some in Japan that the United States would place priority on its relationship with China, as during President Bill Clinton's administration, and that Washington may set aside the abduction issue while pressing ahead with the denuclearization talks with Pyongyang.
In the 15-minute phone call, which Clinton initiated on her first full day in office, Nakasone expressed hopes to visit Washington at an early date for talks with the secretary and the two sides agreed to arrange such a meeting soon.
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