Japan and US offer talks with N Korea

The US and Japan yesterday offered new talks with North Korea to resolve the increasingly dangerous stand-off over its nuclear and missile programmes, but said the reclusive communist government first must lower tensions and honour previous agreements.

North Korea has a clear course of action available to it, and will find “ready partners” in the US if it follows through, said US secretary of state John Kerry.

Japan’s foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, who appeared with Kerry at a news conference, was more explicit, saying North Korea must honour its commitment to earlier deals regarding its nuclear and missile programmes and on returning kidnapped foreigners.