First N.K.-Japan ministry-level talks

Japan`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono has announced on the 18th that a high-level meeting with the North Korea`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Paek Nam-Sun have been confirmed to take place during the ASEAN Regional Forum slated to begin on the 26th.

This will be the first ever meeting of Ministers from the two states. For the 20 minutes during their face-to-face meeting, the central issue of developing amicable ties between the two states will be explored.

Japan`s Minster Kono revealed that North Korea has accepted Japan`s request to reopen the talks concerning the possibility of visits to Japan by the Japanese spouses of North Korean nationals currently residing in the North. The planned meeting on the 26th is predicted to lead to a more comprehensive negotiation talks in August most likely to be held in Japan. The two sides had broken off the talks in April of this year.