TOKYO —

U.S. President George W Bush told Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday that he will not forget about the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents and fully understands Japan’s concerns, Japanese officials said.

During their 20-minute talks on the phone held a day before North Korea is expected to present a declaration of its nuclear activities, the two leaders agreed to continue to closely cooperate in dealing with North Korean problems.

Once the declaration is submitted, the United States is set to respond by beginning steps to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a longstanding demand by Pyongyang. Bush’s remarks are apparently aimed at allaying Japan’s concerns, as Tokyo has been worried that if Washington goes ahead with the delisting prior to progress on the abduction issue would hamper Japan’s efforts to push for a resolution.

Fukuda, who is battling rock-bottom approval ratings, earlier Wednesday came under fire from families of abduction victims, who have gained political clout for their emotionally charged rallies demanding pressure on North Korea.

“I wish the Japanese government voiced more concern to the United States,” said Teruaki Masumoto, whose sister was snatched by North Korean agents in 1978.

“I don’t want them to say anything that makes it seem like Japan supports this U.S. move as the lives of Japanese are at stake,” he said.

Masumoto and other relatives of Japanese abductees visited the U.S. embassy in Tokyo earlier Wednesday to lodge their complaints about removing North Korea from the blacklist.

“This move would erase all of Japan’s efforts to pressure North Korea and would crush our morale, so we cannot give up,” Masumoto said.

Fukuda, a moderate known for efforts to improve relations with other Asian nations, took over last year from conservative premier Shinzo Abe, who had campaigned throughout his career on the abduction issue.

Abe, who remains a lawmaker, regretted the U.S. go-ahead on the delisting.

“It could affect the Japan-U.S. alliance and the relationship of trust,” he told reporters Tuesday.

Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which controls one house of parliament, denounced the Bush administration.

“The United States said nice things to the families of kidnapping victims. But in the end, they don’t care,” Ozawa said.

The North Korea agreement has also been unpopular among some U.S. conservatives, who have accused Bush of rushing to seal an achievement in his final months in office.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday that Washington could move to take North Korea off its list of state sponsors of terrorism “quite soon” after Pyongyang makes a full accounting of its nuclear programs.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due Thursday in Kyoto for talks among foreign ministers of the Group of Eight rich nations.

Rice earlier this week said the abduction issue was of “extreme importance” to Washington but cited North Korea’s decision to reinvestigate the kidnappings.

“I would hope that Japanese people would recognize that,” she said. “This was an issue that was going nowhere until the United States pressed the issue.”
   

Wire reports

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8 Comments

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  some14some at 07:41 AM JST - 26th June

  I remember, some people calling Bush as a 'terrorist', some saying 'cowboy' but this assurance to Japan proves that Bush is a 'Human Avatar'!

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  RMGTTF at 10:21 AM JST - 26th June

  "We won't forget we will just not give a sh.."

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  Sarge at 10:24 AM JST - 26th June

  I remember Bush telling the Yokotas that their story was one of the most moving he'd ever heard.

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  shugotokumaru at 11:33 AM JST - 26th June

  Barring a severe head injury, I won't forget the abductions. I also won't forget that they are less important than such issues as keeping North Korea from having nukes.

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  wilbur at 01:06 PM JST - 26th June

  wonder if junior remembers he'll be out of office in less than 5 months and is effectively powerless right now ?

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  telecasterplayer at 01:57 PM JST - 26th June

  At least he was nice enough to lie to Fukuda. He told the president of the Philippines that Filipinos make dang good kitchen help. Words twisted for comedic effect, but the meaning is the same: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/24/bush-to-filipino-presidenn108985.html

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  usaexpat at 12:16 AM JST - 27th June

  Any deal with North Korea is a deal with the devil. We will have to wait and see if this really leads to NK giving up its nukes. Since the priority of the US was to get the NKs to give up their nuke program they couldn't allow the abduction issue to muddy the waters. I'm pretty sure Fukuda and everyone else invloved knows that they are not going to get anywhere on the abduction issue.

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  telecasterplayer at 11:57 PM JST - 29th June

  usaexpat,

  Any deal with North Korea is a deal with the devil.

  The only "deal" is the deal to put it all off onto the next administration.

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