The U.S. government on Tuesday expressed "welcome and support" for the outcome of the summit meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi briefed U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on the results of the summit at the White House on Tuesday morning.
Kawaguchi told reporters later that Rice was pleased Koizumi raised the issue of missiles and other international security concerns with Kim, and expressed "welcome and support" for Koizumi's initiative.
The prime minister was to call U.S. President George W. Bush to personally brief him on the talks, Kawaguchi added.
A U.S. government source said that while the U.S. welcomes the results of the meeting, "serious concerns" remain about the missile issue.
"We are actively considering what our next step will be in our own diplomacy with North Korea," the source told Kyodo News.
Koizumi told a news conference in Pyongyang that Kim asked him to convey to the United States his willingness to have dialogue. Pyongyang also promised to honor all international commitments on its nuclear program and continue its moratorium on missile testing beyond 2003.
The U.S. source said the U.S. government extends its condolences to the families of the Japanese nationals who were abducted and later died.