Tokyo, April 9, 2002

The Delegations of Japan, the United States of America and the Republic of Korea (ROK), headed respectively by Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Hitoshi Tanaka, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly, and Deputy Foreign Minister, Ambassador Lee Tae-sik, held this year's second Japan?U.S.?ROK Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting in Tokyo on April 9.

The three delegations reviewed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the status of their bilateral relations with North Korea. They welcomed recent developments with regard to dialogue with North Korea and reconfirmed the importance of engaging North Korea in the international community through dialogue. In particular, they welcomed and expressed support for the outcome of the ROK Special Envoy's visit to North Korea, through which agreements were reached on resuming dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas. The U.S. and Japanese delegations also welcomed the ROK delegation's report on the willingness of North Korea to resume dialogue with the United States and Japan, which was expressed during the ROK Special Envoy's visit. The three delegations reiterated the importance of continued close consultations and coordination among the three countries.

The three delegations took note of North Korea's decision to resume consultations with KEDO, and expressed their support for continued implementation of the 1994 Agreed Framework including construction of the LWR project. They urged North Korea to take measures necessary for carrying out the Agreed Framework, including full cooperation with the IAEA.

The ROK delegation emphasized the importance of sustaining momentum for dialogue created by the Special Envoy's visit to North Korea, which will lead to further reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas. The ROK delegation also expressed its hope that this new momentum for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula will be reinforced by the respective efforts of the United States and Japan to engage North Korea. The U.S. and Japanese delegations also reiterated their support for President Kim Dae-jung's policy of engagement.

The U.S. delegation reaffirmed that the U.S. was prepared to undertake serious discussions with Now Korea, anytime, anywhere and without preconditions. The U.S. delegation noted that the best way to resolve issues of concern is through dialogue.

The Japanese delegation explained the current status of Japan-North Korea relations and emphasized the importance of North Korea to take a constructive attitude toward various issues of its concerns including abduction issues. The Japanese delegation also explained that the Japan-North Korean Red Cross Talks will be held In the near future. The Japanese delegation further stated that it would continue to make steady efforts toward Japan-North Korea normalization talks so that such normalization may contribute to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia.

Finally, the three delegations agreed to hold the next round of trilateral consultations in the near future to further coordinate their respective policies toward North Korea.