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Reuter: Japan Cited Burma's Tension



Subject: Reuter: Japan Cited Burma's Tension at G-7 Meeting

Japan Cited Burma Tension at G-7 Meeting

    By Yoshiko Mori
     LYON, France, June 28 (Reuter) - Japan's Prime Minister Ryutaro
Hashimoto on Friday called on his Western allies in the Group of Seven (G7)
summit to pay more attention to issues of concern to Asia.
     Hashimoto raised regional concerns like nuclear non- proliferation in
North Korea, China's early entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO),
the global trade watchdog, and political tensions in Burma.
     Hashimoto told U.S. President Bill Clinton he was worried about a U.S.
Congressional move to slash the U.S. financial contribution to KEDO -- the
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation.
     And Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda told a joint meeting of G7 finance
and foreign ministers on Friday; "Korean Peninsula is not just an Asian
issue, it's an issue of global concern."
     Ikeda also demanded European participation in the KEDO, a $4 billion
programme set up in 1994 under which North Korea agreed to shut down
nuclear reactors, stop producing plutonium and permit international
inspections of its nuclear facilities, a foreign ministry official said.
     A U.S. congressional committee recently set next year's funding for
KEDO at $13 million, compared with the $25 million the Clinton
administration had requested.
     "Among issues Japan is pressing for more G7 attention, problems
concerning North Korea require imminnent political attention of the world
powerful economies," a senior government official told Reuters.
     G7 leaders are expected to state their commitment to economic and
political stability on the Korean Peninsula when they reliease their
political communique on Saturday.
     Hashimoto and Ikeda also stressed during G7 sessions the importance of
persuading Pyongyang to agree to a four-nation peace talks proposal.
     Prior to the G7 meeting, Hashimoto visited South Korea and agreed with
South Korean President Kim Young-sam to jointly press North Korea to agree
to four-nation talks.
     Clinton and Kim Young-sam proposed in April to bring North Korea to
the peace table with South Korea, Japan and the United States. North and
South Korea have been technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended
with a truce.
     North Korea, which calls the 43 year old armistice "a worthless piece
of paper" has not replied to the proposal.
     Hashimoto also hailed G7 support for China's early entry into the WTO
which he described as a significant first step towards its becoming a
constructive partner in the international economic community.
     "There is the need for getting China fully into the international
community, not just in economic sphere, but in such movements toward
disarmanent and nuclear non proliferation," Hashimoto told his fellow
leaders.
     British Prime Minister John Major supported Hashimoto's appeal but
Clinton was rather hesitant in backing his position, a foreign ministry
official said.
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