Seoul, Oct 07: North Korea said today Japan would play no further part in negotiations to resolve the year-long nuclear crisis. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, citing a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said North Korea "would not allow Japan to participate in any form of negotiations for the settlement of the nuclear issue in the future." "Japan is nothing but an obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue between the DPRK (North Korea) and the US," the spokesman's statement said. "It has lost its qualification to be a trustworthy dialogue partner." Japan was among six nations which met in Beijing in late August for multilateral talks on the crisis. A new round of talks is expected in the near future, South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun said in Indonesia, where he is attending a regional summit.
Bureau Report