NAGO, Okinawa Pref. — Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori indicated his readiness Sunday to have direct contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il as Tokyo pursues normalized ties with Pyongyang.
"It would be important for me to effectively communicate with General Secretary Kim. I would like to consider the most effective ways to communicate with each other," Mori told reporters after the three-day Group of Eight summit he chaired in Nago, northern Okinawa.
He denied any specific plans were being discussed to arrange a meeting with Kim and noted it would be "some time ahead" before such talks could be held.