Japan, S Korea say results needed on nuclear talks

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japan and South Korea agreed today on the need for solid results in negotiations for North Korea to scrap its nuclear programmes, saying it was regrettable that multilateral meetings last week ended without a deal.

Six-party talks among the two Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the United States ended last Friday in Beijing but failed to make progress, with Pyongyang and Washington blaming each other for the impasse.

South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso agreed ''it was important that Japan and South Korea cooperate closely to implement the six-party talks joint statement,'' a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

The joint statement, issued in September 2005, had promised North Korea aid and security guarantees in return for nuclear disarmament.

But Song and Aso, who met on the final day of Song's two-day visit to Tokyo, did not discuss how the six-party talks should now proceed or when they should resume, the official told reporters.

The two, however, shared understanding on differences in their relationships with North Korea, with Song saying that South Korea's geographic proximity to the North made it vulnerable to developments in the communist state.

Japan has hardened its stance towards North Korea after it test-fired a series of missiles in July and conducted its first-ever nuclear test in October.

Tokyo has banned all imports from North Korea and has stopped exports of luxury goods, while urging other nations to implement UN sanctions imposed on the impoverished state after the missile and nuclear tests.

South Korea in contrast has steadily increased trade with North Korea despite the UN sanctions.

Song and Aso also exchanged documents to ratify an agreement to expedite cooperation on criminal investigations and trial proceedings for cross-border crimes.

REUTERS PB VC1440