Japan and the United States plan to hold high-level security talks Dec. 16 to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program and a possible U.S. attack on Iraq, Japanese and U.S. sources said Thursday.
It will be the first "two-plus-two" meeting of foreign and defense ministers of the two countries since President George W. Bush took office in January 2001.
They held their last security meeting in September 2000.
Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba will attend the talks in Washington with Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.