The government believes that the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would have little impact on the denuclearization of North Korea. Placing importance on U.S.-North Korea talks, the government holds a cautious stance over Putin showing support for resuming six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.
At a press conference Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said it is "only natural" for the government to pay close attention to developments related to the summit.
"Toward the goal to achieve the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, the United States and South Korea will closely work together while also cooperating with the international community, including Russia and China."
The government is keen on gathering information from the Russian side in line with the Russia-North Korea summit. Kenji Kanasugi, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the Foreign Ministry who serves as Japan's chief negotiator for the six-party talks, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov in Tokyo on Monday. Kanasugi asked Morgulov about the agenda of the summit talks, among other issues. Kanasugi has also contacted chief negotiators of the United States, China and South Korea from April 15 through Wednesday.
The six-party talks, which involve North Korea, Japan, the United States, China, South Korea and Russia, have been suspended since 2008. Russia is believed to be willing to resume the talks because it is "concerned about falling behind in the U.S.-led denuclearization process," a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said Thursday.
"The latest summit meeting [between Putin and Kim] was all a performance," the official added. "It wouldn't have any impact on North Korea's denuclearization."
Another senior Foreign Ministry official showed a similar view, saying: "The six-party talks have significance in terms of a peace process after progress has been made in denuclearization. At present, however, the U.S.-North Korea talks are the framework that can produce the best results."
The government intends to support Washington, which focuses on the bilateral negotiations with North Korea, while also urging Moscow and Beijing to continue to impose sanctions on Pyongyang.
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