Press Availability With LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shoichi Nakagawa

QUESTION: What did you say about the abduction issue, or what did you talk about?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE HILL: Well, first of all, we had a really excellent discussion about U.S.-Japanese cooperation in the Six-Party Talks and the fact that the U.S. and Japan really go very close together in constant consultation on our objectives for these talks -- our desire that the Six-Party Talks address the nuclear issue, but also that we can use the Six-Party process to address other outstanding issues in a bilateral context. And that would include, of course, the very painful issue for the Japanese people of the abduction question. I mentioned the fact that I was present in the Oval Office when our President – when President Bush met with the families of the abductees, and I also had the opportunity to meet with some of these families in Washington. So I am very aware of this issue. I'm very aware of the importance that the Japanese people attach to this, and what I want to do is to assure them that as we go forward, this issue will not be forgotten as we proceed with the very difficult task of making progress in implementing the September 2005 statement.

QUESTION: The North Korean delegation changed their schedule to entering Beijing. They delayed to entering Beijing the day after tomorrow. Have you ever heard about that information or reason?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, I don't know their arrival schedule. I was not planning to be at the airport for them, but I'm sure they will be there in time for the talks. And I'm sure everyone will be present. This is a very important time for the Six-Party process.

QUESTION: You had meetings in the morning today, and North Korea can’t just make an oral commitment, but that they have to make some implementation over several weeks. I know that many TV reporters were not there. If you could explain on that issue?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, we are looking to take the September 2005 statement and try to begin the process of implementing. And implementing means we need to see some changes on the ground. So we want to move quickly, because this is just the first phase, the first tranche of this. That is, we need to make a lot more progress. If our efforts are only limited to this first phase, that will not be a success. We need to complete the task, and that will take several steps.

And I just feel it's very important that the U.S. and Japan are working so closely together. I really value the cooperation, the closeness that I have with your representative -- that is, Mr. Sasae -- and I think that will be very helpful as we go forward.

So thank you.

QUESTION: So you did say within a few weeks, and you said within several weeks in that sense, the way you just explained.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Yes, I think the question I had this morning was, were we getting implementation in days, weeks, or months, and I preferred to say "weeks."