Washington has notified Tokyo of its plan to start the process Thursday of striking North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism if Pyongyang files a declaration of its nuclear activities, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Tuesday.
The planned U.S. move may push the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda into a tight corner, possibly forcing the government to face the tough political choice of either dropping its hardline demand for Pyongyang to make progress on the abduction dispute or straining the U.S. alliance by hampering the six-party talks to denuclearize North Korea.
Fukuda said later Tuesday that Japan would welcome the delisting if it helps resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.