Representatives from South Korea, the United States and Japan will meet in Tokyo later this month to discuss joint strategies for a new round of multilateral talks on Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue, a senior official from the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in Seoul Tuesday.

The Sept. 29-30 meeting is the first strategy consultation by the three allies since last month's six-nation talks in Beijing on DPRK's nuclear issue.

"We will assess the result of the first round of six-way talks and examine joint strategies in preparation for the next round of talks," said South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck, who was South Korea's chief delegate to last month's six-party talks in Beijing.

DPRK, China, the United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan held talks on DPRK's nuclear issue in Beijing last month.

In the Beijing talks last month, the involved parties did not set the date of the next round of talks, but according to some media reports, it will be held in November.

Lee said the Tokyo meeting will focus on developing proposals to offer to the DPRK at a new round of talks.

Pyongyang demanded Washington to dismantle its hostile policy toward the DPRK and sign with it a non-aggression treaty. But the United States rejected the demand.

Lee will represent South Korea at the Tokyo meeting.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2003)