Clinton stresses importance of alliance

The United States sees its alliance with Japan as the "cornerstone of peace and stability" in the Asia-Pacific region, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. Clinton made the observation during her Monday meeting in New York with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba. "The Secretary opened by reiterating how strong the U.S. commitment is to our U.S.-Japan alliance, which we consider the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region," said a senior State Department official at a media briefing, carried on the department Web site. "She noted that despite the difficult year that Japan has had, our alliance remains very much a global one." Gemba said the government of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda sees the bilateral relationship as the linchpin of Japanese diplomacy, Kyodo News reported. Gemba is visiting New York for the U.N. General Assembly session. His talks with Clinton come ahead of Noda's first meeting as prime minister with U.S. President Barack Obama, set for Wednesday in New York. Gemba agreed with Clinton it was premature to resume the stalled six-nation talks on North Korea's denuclearization, the Kyodo reported. "They also talked about (North Korea) and our shared hope that we can persuade the (North Korans) to take concrete steps to meet its commitments, and the Secretary pledged to send a U.S. team to speak in more detail to the new Japanese Government on where we stand on these issues if that would be helpful," the State Department official said. The six-nation talks, stalled since December 2008, involve the two Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the United States. Gemba asked for further U.S. cooperation in helping Tokyo resolve the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. He said Tokyo will make a decision on whether to join a U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership for free trade at an early date. The TPP involves nine Asia-Pacific countries that aim to reach an outline agreement on free trade by the November forum in Honolulu of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. On Japan's import ban on U.S. beef because of mad cow disease, Clinton said she hoped the issue can be resolved on the basis of science and international standards.