日米韓外相会談 「北」非核化へ具体的行動迫れ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jul. 25, 2011)
3 nations must act as 1 to get action from N. Korea
日米韓外相会談　「北」非核化へ具体的行動迫れ（7月24日付・読売社説）

Resuming the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear development programs will be meaningless if it is done with no conditions attached.
　６か国協議を再開するだけでは意味がない。

It is vital to continue to press Pyongyang to take concrete action so that substantive progress is made toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
朝鮮半島の非核化が実質的に進展するよう、北朝鮮に「具体的行動」を迫り続けることが肝要だ。

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan met Saturday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali and adopted a joint statement.
　松本外相、クリントン米国務長官、韓国の金星煥外交通商相がインドネシア・バリ島で会談し、共同声明を発表した。

Referring to preconditions for resuming the stalled multilateral talks, the statement sought from North Korea "sincere efforts to improve relations" with Seoul, including constructive dialogue between the two Koreas.
　声明は、６か国協議を再開する前提として、北朝鮮に「真摯(しんし)かつ建設的な南北対話を含めた誠意ある努力」を求めた。

It also prodded Pyongyang to "take concrete steps to demonstrate a genuine commitment to denuclearization."
「非核化に対する真のコミットメント（確約）を示すための具体的行動をとる」ことも促している。

In addition to such outrageous acts as sinking a South Korean naval vessel and the deadly shelling of South Korean border island Yeonpyeong, North Korea last year went so far as to announce uranium enrichment activities.
　北朝鮮は昨年、韓国軍哨戒艦の撃沈、延坪島砲撃に加え、ウラン濃縮活動の公表まで行った。

It could never be logical to overlook all such things to reopen the six-party talks.
　一切を不問にする形で、６か国協議を再開するのは、筋が通らない。

Commitment on the part of the North to take concrete action toward abandoning its nuclear weapons programs should be a minimum requirement for the talks' resumption.
北朝鮮が核放棄に向けて具体的な行動を約束することが、再開の最低限の条件となるべきだ。

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Pyongyang's move for dialogue

In this sense, the "three-stage approach" taken by Japan, the United States and South Korea in calling first for North-South dialogue, followed by consultations between the United States and North Korea and then resumption of the six-party talks should be considered right and proper.
　その意味で、まず南北対話、次に米朝協議を経て、６か国協議を再開するという日米韓の「３段階」論は、妥当な考えと言えよう。

Up until recently, Pyongyang ignored the South Korean administration of President Lee Myung Bak, but consultations took place for the first time in two years and seven months between the two Koreas' chief nuclear envoys the day before the foreign ministerial talks involving Japan, South Korea and the United States.
　北朝鮮は、「韓国の李明博政権は相手にしない」という強硬姿勢を示していたが、今回、２年７か月ぶりに韓国との高官協議に応じた。

With its economic hardships continuing, Pyongyang may have redirected its course of action in favor of promoting dialogue.
経済的困窮が続く中、対話路線にカジを切ったのだろう。

It is an old North Korean trick to ferociously condemn foreign countries and then suddenly offer to wheel and deal.
　相手国を激しく非難したり、一転して取引を持ちかけたりするのは、北朝鮮の常套(じょうとう)手段だ。

There should be no excessive response to such maneuvering.
過剰な反応は禁物である。

Japan, the United States and South Korea should deal with the North in a coolheaded manner by ensuring unity among themselves.
日米韓は、３か国の結束を固めたうえ、冷静に対応する必要がある。

China can play a significant role as chair of the six-party talks.
　６か国協議の議長国である中国の役割も大きい。

Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Beijing should be aware of its obligation to persuade Pyongyang to make concessions to Tokyo, Washington and Seoul.
事態を傍観することなく、北朝鮮に歩み寄るよう説得することが責務だ。

Ever since last year, Japan, South Korea and the United States have stepped up military cooperation, as shown by the Self-Defense Forces' participation as an observer in joint maneuvers of the United States and South Korea.
　日米韓は昨年以降、米韓合同軍事演習に自衛隊がオブザーバー参加するなど、軍事協力を拡充している。

Enhancement of such cooperation is important to curb Pyongyang's provocations.
こうした協力は、北朝鮮の軍事的な挑発行為を抑止するうえで重要だ。

Military cooperation should be advanced steadily.
着実に推進したい。

The joint statement from the foreign ministerial talks also called for North Korea to "take action to resolve the issues of abduction and family reunions."
　外相会談の声明は、北朝鮮に対し「拉致問題を解決するための行動をとる」ことも呼びかけた。

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Good timing for progress

Bilateral talks on the abductions of Japanese by North Korean agents have been at an impasse since September 2008, when Pyongyang unilaterally scrapped its pledge to reinvestigate the whereabouts of abductees.
　拉致問題は、２００８年９月に北朝鮮が再調査の約束を一方的に破棄して以来、停滞している。

In the middle of this month, however, Kansei Nakano, the minister in charge of the abduction issue, visited South Korea to exchange information with South Korean officials including Unification Minister Hyun In Taek.
　今月中旬には、中野拉致問題相が訪韓し、玄仁沢統一相らと情報・意見交換を行った。

Such interactions can be attributed to the improvement of relations between Japan and South Korea under the Lee administration.
この種の協議ができるのも、李政権下での日韓関係改善の効用と言える。

The United States and South Korea will have presidential elections next year, in November and December, respectively.
　米国は来年１１月、韓国は来年１２月に、それぞれ大統領選を予定している。

Japan, South Korea and the United States should share the understanding that with relations between the three going so well, now is a good opportunity for progress on Korean issues.
The three nations should do their utmost to yield concrete results in dealing with issues involving the North.
日米韓は、連携が順調な今が北朝鮮問題を前進させる好機だととらえ、具体的な成果を生むよう全力を挙げねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 24, 2011)
（2011年7月24日01時15分 読売新聞）