The upcoming six-party talks on North Korean disarmament will fail unless the communist state makes a commitment to abandon its nuclear weapons, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday. "What we really need is a strategic decision on the part of the North that they are indeed ready to give up their nuclear weapons program," Rice told reporters after the meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura in Tokyo. "Without that, these talks cannot be successful," she was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. She also said Washington strongly supports Japan's efforts to resolve the cases of Japanese citizens kidnapped decades ago by North Korean agents. The North has released five of the victims, but Japan believes other victims may still remain in the reclusive country. "We agreed that there must be an actual progress in the next round of talks, and we expect North Korea's serious and constructive handling," Machimura said. "We also confirmed the importance of close cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea on the issue."
