Text Fw: Korea, Japan and China hold talks for three-way summit

Yonhap News
Korea, Japan and China hold talks for three-way summit
2010/04/03 11:42 KST

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Ranking government officials from South Korea, Japan and China met on South Korea's Jeju Island to work out details for their annual three-way summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.

The meeting between South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon and his counterparts from Japan and China was held Friday on the southern resort island, which is also expected to be the venue for the upcoming three-way summit tentatively scheduled for May.

A ministry source also said that officials exchanged views on an upcoming foreign ministers meeting between the three neighbors expected to take place in Seoul shortly before the scheduled summit.

Other issues discussed include ongoing efforts to bring North Korea back to the six-party talks, current regional and international concerns, and ways to further promote trilateral cooperation.

The six-party talks -- involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia -- are aimed at persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. The communist country has detonated two nuclear devices despite warnings by the international community.

The upcoming summit, meanwhile, is the third of its kind to be held by leaders of the Northeast Asian countries, while the gathering of the three ministers will be the fourth such meeting. Both meetings are chaired by the host country.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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