Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell agreed in telephone talks late Saturday to continue using diplomacy to press North Korea on nuclear and other issues.
Kawaguchi expressed concern over North Korea's nuclear development program and other recent problems. She also stressed the need to employ international cooperation, including a trilateral framework with Japan, South Korea and the United States, to resolve them, a Japanese official said.
Powell agreed with Kawaguchi, reiterating Washington's commitment to seeking diplomatic solutions, the official said.
Kawaguchi and Powell agreed to have their senior officials seriously discuss the issues when the two countries and South Korea hold a Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting to coordinate policy on North Korea. The meeting is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Washington.