The success or failure of summit diplomacy depends primarily on whether it promotes the pursuit of medium- and long-term national interests -- not on whether it yields short-term, specific results. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's May 22 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il should be evaluated by the same standard.
Koizumi has been loudly criticized at home, not only by abductees' families but also by ruling-party politicians including Cabinet ministers, for not doing enough to settle the abductee issue. The criticism has been played up by the media, particularly television.
By contrast, the second Koizumi-Kim meeting has been highly praised by officials of the six countries engaged in talks on North Korea's nuclear development programs -- including the United States, South Korea, China and Russia.