Tokyo, Aug 31: In a move that could end decades of Cold War enmity, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said that he would make an unprecedented visit to North Korea next month for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il aimed at normalising relations. “I will visit Pyongyang on September 17th for talks with General Secretary Kim Jong-Il,” Koizumi told reporters. “I want to find clues for solving numerous issues between Japan and North Korea. I want to explore the possibility of resuming normalisation talks by meeting him in person.

“I decided on the visit as I thought we could not take the first step forward unless the two leaders talk with political determination,” he said.

It will be the first visit by a Japanese premier to North Korea, with which Tokyo has never established diplomatic relations. Bureau Report