SA to address missile crisis

2006-07-06 11:26

Pretoria - South Africa's diplomatic ties to North Korea place it in a good position to discuss the current missile crisis, Japan's senior vice-minister for foreign affairs Yasuhisa Shiozaki said on Thursday.

"We want to avoid this kind of risk that places Japan's security, safety in the region and the world as a whole at risk."

He is in South Africa to co-chair the 8th session of the South Africa-Japan partnership forum with deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad.

Pahad said North Korea's test firing of missiles on Wednesday was a matter of concern to South Africa.

"It's an indication that it is becoming a very dangerous [issue]." He said he hoped that "good sense would prevail".

Shiozaki said Japan had already taken some action, including imposing sanctions on North Korea and was working under a United Nations security council resolution on the issue.

He said while South Africa had diplomatic ties with North Korea it also had strong stands on democracy and human rights.

"So we will discuss this issue, " Shiozaki said.

Pahad is due to meet with his North Korean counterpart vice-minister Kim Hyong Jun in Pretoria next week.

- SAPA