May 23, 2010

Japanese Communist Party International Commission Vice Chair Kasai Akira (House of Representatives member) on May 22 participated in the annual convention of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryun) as a guest speaker.

Kasai spoke about the JCP stance urging the government to apply the tuition-free program to Korean students and about the JCP activities in New York in regard to the NPT Review Conference. Kasai pointed out that a resumption of the Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program will contribute to achieving “a world without nuclear weapons.”

As for the sinking of the South Korean Navy ship, Kasai said that this issue should be addressed in a diplomatic and political manner. Kasai also emphasized that a closure on the abduction issue is an unavoidable task for the Japanese and the North Korean governments.

Noting that this year marks the 100th anniversary of Japan’s annexation of Korea, Kasai said that sharing a common understanding of their mutual history will establish a real friendship between Japan and North Korea, and hoped that a normalization of diplomatic ties between the two governments will be achieved by resolving all pending issues in the spirit of the “Japan-Pyongyang Declaration.”

Representatives of other political parties, including the ruling block, also took part in the convention.
- Akahata, May 23, 2010