WORLD> Asia-Pacific
S.Korean, Japanese diplomats prepare bilateral summit
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-29 17:10

SEOUL -- Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan held talks in Seoul Monday in preparation for a summit between South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro.

The talks between South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak and his Japanese counterpart Mitoji Yabunaka was kicked off ahead of a South Korean-Japanese summit set for January 10-12 in Seoul, South Korean official said.

The two nations held the vice ministerial level talks between their foreign ministries since 2005. Monday's talks was the seventh of its kind.

"I expect this round of the strategic talks will help lay the groundwork for our relations to move forward to a mature companionship," said Kwon.

Yabunaka said he expects the two sides exchange views "in a heart to heart way" about East Asia and international economic issues upon the beginning of the meeting.

South Korean officials said the two sides also had in-depth discussions on the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.