South Korea, Japan pledge closer ties (Roundup)

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.