[Title] Joint Press Remarks of the Fourth Round of the Six-Party Talks

The fact that we have been able to reach an agreement through the lengthy negotiation on the joint statement that shows the final goals to be achieved by the Six Parties marks the first step towards the peaceful settlement of the DPRK's nuclear issue. I would like to express my deep appreciation to Vice Minister Wu Dawei, who has, in the spirit of impartiality, exercised strong leadership throughout the Talks as the Chairperson.

The fact that the DPRK for the first time has made the commitment in this Round of the Talks to the verifiable abandonment of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs lays an important foundation to materialize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the efforts among the Six Parties hereafter.

Japan will, while cooperating with each party, also make maximum efforts towards the implementation of the agreed items in this joint statement including the realization of the normalization of the relations on the basis of the settlement of unfortunate past and outstanding issues of concern between Japan and the DPRK.

This grand result could not have been realized without political decisions and contributions of each party. I believe that the six parties has to take this opportunity to further build mutual confidence, and that only such accumulation of mutual confidence will lead to the peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue, the normalization of bilateral relations, and the peace and stability of Northeast Asia through the Six-Party Talks.