Press Availability With Director-General Kenichiro Sasae

QUESTION: [Translated from Japanese] What did you talk about in your meeting just now, and what stance will the U.S. and Japan take in the upcoming round of the Six-Party Talks?

DIRECTOR-GENERAL SASAE: [Translated from Japanese] I think we had a very useful and constructive exchange of opinions. Regarding our response for the coming round of the Six-Party Talks, the U.S. and Japan agreed to work closely together as allies. In particular, the coming round of the Six-Party Talks needs to produce concrete results, and it is especially important that specific results be achieved on North Korea's denuclearization. To that end, it is important that Japan and the U.S. will cooperate with South Korea, China, and Russia. We agreed on those points. Additionally, in this context, for the Six-Party Talks as a whole to achieve these goals, it is important to create an overall framework. In that sense, Japan-DPRK relations and U.S.-DPRK relations need to move forward together organically. To that end, there are various issues – including the abduction issue for us – and I believe that we agreed to work closely to resolve these issues.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, I agree with everything that Sasae-san has just said. We did have a very productive and substantive discussion. This is a very important round for the Six-Party Talks. We do need to make progress. We need to begin the task of implementing the September statement. I want to emphasize that this will not complete the task of implementing; this will just begin the task of implementing. So we have a lot of work ahead of us.

But I think we have always maintained a very close relationship here. I think the U.S. and Japan have been working very, very well on the Six-Party process. And I think today is an example of that. We're looking forward to getting started. So we'll be heading off to Beijing. I think we may even be taking the same airplane. We'll be there tomorrow, and we'll be ready to start on Thursday.

QUESTION: I think the Japanese Government maintained its position that they will not give any fuel assistance without major progress on the abduction issue. Do you support this position?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, let me just say that, as I've said before, I think the Six-Party Talks represent a very broad platform on which we are trying to address a number of issues -- issues related to our bilateral concerns but also issues related, of course, to the denuclearization. So I think there is a lot we need to work through. And I'm confident that if the U.S. and Japan can work together, we can get a lot accomplished.

QUESTION: [Translated from Japanese] Regarding first steps for North Korea, are you looking for just a promise, or are you planning to set a deadline?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, I think clearly we have to move as soon as possible to implementation. We would like those events to happen soon, because we'd like to move on to a next phase. We don't want that the Six-Party process should be judged by just these initial steps, because we need to take a number of steps before we realize our goal, which is the complete implementation of the September 2005 statement.

QUESTION: It has been reported that North Korea has been requesting you have heavy fuel oil more than 5,000 [sic] tons a year. So have you heard already from Mr. Kim Kye Gwan?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, of course in the September 2005 agreement there is a discussion or a mention of energy and economic assistance. But I have not discussed any details of this at all in my bilateral consultations with the DPRK, although I think it is quite possible it will come up in the Six-Party context this weekend.

QUESTION: [Translated from Japanese] I've heard that North Korea is demanding that America not only accept North Korea's demands but that it implement it within several weeks.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, I'm not sure what you're referring to except to say that our discussion had to do with implementation of the September statement and to make a very strong and clear first step toward implementation. It doesn't mean that we will have the entire September statement implemented in this round coming up, but we certainly want to make a clear statement that we are on the way to denuclearization.