Leaders: Cooperate to reform agency

The United States backs Japan's bid to be a permanent Security Council member.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice agreed Friday that Japan and the United States should cooperate to realize reform of the United Nations.
"Japan will pay 19.468 percent of the U.N. budget [for 2004 through 2006]. The rate is higher than the combined rate that Britain, China, France and Russia -- four of the five U.N. Security Council permanent members -- pay," Aso told Rice during their talks at the U.S. State Department.
"The Japanese public increasingly believes it [Japan's financial contribution to the United Nation] isn't fair, and that sentiment has to be considered," Aso said, seeking U.S. support for reducing Japan's contribution to the world body.
Rice told Aso that the United States supported Japan's view on the United Nations. She said Washington and Tokyo should work together to reform the United Nations, including the Security Council, and the two ministers agreed that their governments should organize working-level meetings to that end. Rice reiterated the United States' support for Japan's bid to become a permanent member of the Security Council.
Other issues
Aso is making his first trip to the United States since becoming foreign minister in late October. Concerning the realignment of U.S. military forces stationed in Japan, Aso told Rice that the Japanese government would strive to gain the agreement of relevant local governments before the completion of the final report on the realignment, scheduled for March.
"Opposition is strong in Okinawa Prefecture, but the government will work hard to win the understanding of local people," Aso said.
On North Korea, Rice emphasized the importance of six-way talks as a means of resolving issues related to the country. Japan is participating in the talks along with China, North and South Korea, Russia and the United States. Aso endorsed Rice's view, but added, "Japan and the United States should work closely with each other on the issues of [North Korea's] nuclear program, missiles and abductions [carried out by the North]."