Japan hopes the six-party talks will be useful to discuss the security concern of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the nuclear issue, said a Japanese official here Wednesday night.

The official, from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference that Japanese head of delegation Mitoji Yabunaka has said in the talks that Japan appreciates China's efforts in realizing the six-party talks, which serve as a framework of solving the nuclear issue peacefully.

The six-party talks, attended by China, the DPRK, Russia, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan, began Wednesday morning in Beijing and will last for three days.

Yabunaka said DPRK's nuclear position can in no way be tolerated and it should comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and dismantle its nuclear facility in a complete and irreversible manner, according to the official.

Meanwhile Japan hopes the DPRK's security concerns should be addressed as well, said the official.

The afternoon talks indicated no sides pursue hostility policy, he said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2003)