Tokyo: Japan reiterated its call on North Korea today to launch as promised a re-investigation into cases of its past abductions soon, with Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone dismissing a media report that Beijing has conveyed to Tokyo of Pyongyang's rejection of the earlier agreement.

Nakasone also reemphasized at a news conference Japan's hopes that the six-party denuclearisation talks will resume "at an early date" to put in writing the specifics to verify Pyongyang's declaration of its nuclear programmes. But he said no date has been set for the next meeting of chief delegates.

The next round of talks involving North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States was originally expected in October following US-North Korea talks in Pyongyang earlier this month.

"There is no way for us to know what kind of exchanges were made between North Korea and China, but the report about Japan having been informed by China (about Pyongyang's rejection of holding the reinvestigations) is untrue," Nakasone said in response to reporters questions, adding that Tokyo does not plan to inquire about the issue with Beijing.

"We want (North Korea) to start the comprehensive investigations soon," the minister said. "Our stance of taking action for action simultaneously, that is to remove restrictions on the entry (of North Korean nationals) and chartered flights once the reinvestigations begin, remains unchanged."

Source : PTI