U.S., Japanese leaders discuss world focuses

U.S. President George W. Bush telephoned Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday with the two side having exchanged views on Iraq's security and the settlement of nuclear issues of Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the White House said.

"They agreed that it's indispensable that governments support ( Iraqi) Prime Minister Maliki and his government as they work on Iraqi reconstruction," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

"They also agreed that Iran must give up its nuclear weapons ambitions and stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq."

The United States accuses Iran of developing secretly nuclear weapons. But the latter denies the charges, insisting its nuclear drive is for peaceful energy production.

Bush and Abe also "agreed that it is regrettable that North Korea has yet to fulfill its commitments under the Feb. 13 agreement," Snow said.

The DPRK agreed to shut down and seal its Yongbyon nuclear facility during the last phase of the six-party talks in February, on the condition that its 25 million-U.S. dollar funds frozen in the Banco Delta Asia (BDA) in Macao are returned.

Washington blacklisted the BDA in September 2005, accusing it of being a money-laundering front for Pyongyang. The DPRK has denied the charges.

The United States says the turnover of the money has been held up apparently for technical reasons.

Source: Xinhua