Washington, Oct 08: The United States today flatly rejected a North Korean demand that Japan be excluded from any future talks on resolving the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. The State Department, echoing similar comments from the Japanese government, said Japan "must and will" continue to participate in the talks because of Tokyo's vital interests in seeing a resolution to the standoff.

"We agree with the Japanese in rejecting the North Korean attempt to exclude Japanese participation in the multi-party talks," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "Japan is a neighbor of North and South Korea and has vital interests at stake in the nuclear issue and in other areas as well," he told reporters.

"North Korean actions, particularly with regard to missiles and their pursuit of nuclear weapons have raised the concern of its neighbors, including Japan, and North Korea must deal with those concerns," Boucher said.

"Japan clearly must and will continue to be a participant in the six-party talks in order to achieve a diplomatic solution to North Korea's nuclear programs," he said. Bureau Report