Asia-Pacific

US envoy meets with Japan officials on DPRK

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-01-07 14:26

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara speak after their meeting at the State Department in Washington Jan 6, 2011.?[Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO- A US envoy says he has had a "useful and productive" conversation with Japanese officials about easing tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Related readings: Seoul denies military cooperation with Japan  US hopes for Six-Party Talks soon  DPRK holds key to reopening Six-Party Talks

Stephen Bosworth, who is Washington's special envoy for?the DPRK?policy, met with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Kenichiro Sasae for about 30 minutes Friday. He arrived in Tokyo after holding similar talks this week with officials in Beijing and Seoul, South Korea.

Meanwhile, Sasae's boss, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, met with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington Thursday.

Maehara said?the two?Koreas should reopen dialogue. If the?DPRK "takes concrete actions," six-nation talks on its nuclear program could resume.