Japan and South Korea insist that sanctions will not be removed until Pyongyang returns to disarmament talks; Japan and Australia likely to make a joint statement ahead of NPT RevCon
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  • Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya visiting Seoul acknowledged the pain caused by Japan’s past policies in the region and expressed the desire that the two countries can settle their disputes and build a forward-looking relationship.1 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Japan’s annexation of Korea. Okada and his South Korean counterpart Yu Myung-hwan also stated that sanctions on North Korea will not be removed until Pyongyang returned to disarmament talks and took serious steps towards scrapping its nuclear arms program.2

    In other developments, the Japanese and Australian governments are likely to issue a joint statement on nuclear policy ahead of the May 2010 NPT Review Conference. Reports indicated that the statement would demand that nuclear-armed states not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states and limit the possession of nuclear weapons to the purpose of deterrence.3

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