Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Monday told William Perry, U.S. policy coordinator for North Korea, that Japan strongly supports the comprehensive approach to Pyongyang that Perry is putting together and expressed hope Perry's visit there this week will prove successful.
Contrary to expectations, however, Obuchi did not ask Perry to tell the North that Japan is ready to resume dialogue if Pyongyang takes constructive steps to resolve international concern over its nuclear and missile programs, a Foreign Ministry official said.
The former U.S. defense secretary is leaving Tokyo today for a four-day visit to Pyongyang as an envoy of U.S. President Bill Clinton. During the visit, Perry is expected to directly assess Pyongyang's view on revised U.S. policies toward the country, hopefully in a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.