Speaking after talks in Germany with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Koizumi described the abductions as "unforgiveable and inhumane" and warned Pyongyang that "a return (of the Japanese) would be much better for North Korea".

He brushed aside North Korea's unwillingness to discuss the situation and the reticence of China to have the matter raised at the August 27-29 talks in Beijing.

Koizumi said that while the focus of the talks was on resolving the crisis over North Korea's nuclear programme, the abductions were "equally important" to Japan.

"If necessary, we will have to continue these talks on the abduction issue bilaterally with North Korea," he added.

Koizumi and Schroeder held the talks at the start of the Japanese premier's week-long visit to Europe also taking him to Poland and the Czech Republic.

North Korea has admitted that its agents kidnapped several citizens from Japan decades ago. Although some of the surviving abductees have been allowed to visit Japan, their relatives still in North Korea have not been allowed to leave.

Japan has said the issue must be resolved before there can be a discussion about normalising ties.

"The Japanese side will definitely raise the issue," a Japanese delegation source said, adding that defiant North Korean rhetoric "does not mean they are not prepared to compromise in the final analysis."

Schroeder said Berlin "understands the position of Japan and supports it," both on how to resolve the nuclear crisis and on the abductions.

The chancellor stressed his particular support for Tokyo's strategy of not isolating the Stalinist regime in Pyongyang.

Isolation, warned Schroeder, would only "harden positions and make it more difficult to reach a solution."

Unlike Japan, Germany has a diplomatic representative in Pyongyang.

The Beijing talks -- which are to involve North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- are expected to urge North Korea to commit to ending its fledgling nuclear weapons programme, ostensibly in exchange for guarantees for the security of the regime.

The Japanese delegation source downplayed hopes of a dramatic breakthrough at the talks, saying that a simple agreement to meet again "would be a very important component of what we would regard to be a success."

On Iraq, Schroeder and Koizumi stressed that while they differed over the US-led war -- Tokyo supported it, while Berlin was a fierce opponent -- they agreed on the need to rebuild the country and restore democracy.

Japan's parliament passed a fiercely contested bill last month that could see Japanese troops deployed to Iraq before the end of the year, although not to areas where troops still face armed opposition.

Schroeder, for his part, reiterated that Germany was not in a position to send troops to Iraq even with a UN mandate.

On Afghanistan, Koizumi praised Berlin's role in peacekeeping efforts.

The Japanese premier said Japan, the world's second biggest economy, hoped to exploit its ties with Germany, the third biggest, to bolster economic ties with Poland and the Czech Republic when they join the European Union in 2004.

After the talks, the leaders flew to the southern town of Bayreuth to take in an opera at the annual Richard Wagner festival.

Koizumi will fly Tuesday to Warsaw to meet with Polish counterpart Leszek Miller, and on Thursday to Prague for talks with Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla and President Vaclav Klaus.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

Quick Links
SpaceWar
Search SpaceWar
Subscribe To SpaceWar Express

SpaceWar Search Engine

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPACEWAR NEWSLETTER SubscribeUnsubscribe