Seoul - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and Japanese
Prime Minister Taro Aso vowed Monday to increase their efforts to
stop North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, in close cooperation
with the administration of incoming US president Barack Obama.
The two leaders, meeting in the South Korean capital Seoul, also
pledged to work together to overcome the effects of the global
recession on Asian exports.
Aso said he and Lee reaffirmed their joint position to persuade
North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons within the framework of
the six-party talks with also include the United States, Russia and
China.
The latest round of talks in December hit an impasse over North
Korea's refusal to allow verification of its nuclear activities.
Tokyo and Seoul would continue to cooperate 'patiently' to reach
their goal, the South Korean president said.
The two leaders said they hoped close bilateral cooperation and
working with the international community would contribute to the
recovery of the global economy.
'President Lee agreed to my view that Asia should be the growth
centre in the world and play a big role in the global economy
recover,' Aso said.
They agreed to cooperate in the reform the financial systems of
both countries, macroeconomic policies and dealing with protective
trade blocs ahead of next G20 summit of the world's leading
industrial nations in April, Lee's office said.
The two leaders also agreed to restart negotations on a bilateral
free trade agreement. In a historic tripartite summit with Chinese
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in December, Lee and Aso pledged to
increase regional cooperation to overcome the global financial
meltdown.
Lee and Aso carefully refraining from touching on sensitive
issues, in particular Japan's occupation of Korea from 1910-45, or
claims by both countries to a disputed island group.
'We did not deal directly with the issue of history at today's
summit,' Aso said.
After taking office in February 2008, Lee and then-Japanese prime
minister Yasuo Fukuda agreed to resume regular summits, which had
been mothballed in 2005 over Seoul's indignation about alleged
Japanese attempts to whitewash its wartime past. Those included the
repeated visits by former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to the
Yasukuni Shrine where some convicted war criminals are buried.
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