Japan to raise N. Korean missile aid in talks with Iran

TOKYO -- Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura arrived in Teheran on Monday to hold talks with Iranian leaders to promote trade issues as well as curb Iran's missile programs, which receives massive help from North Korea.

Officials said Komura began talks with Iranian officials about Teheran's plans for a ballistic missile. The Japanese officials said Tokyo believes that North Korea is transferring technology to Iran's missile program for hard cash that helps continue Pyongyang's current programs to complete development of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Diplomatic sources said Japan was asked by the United States to raise the Iranian missile programs in Teheran. They said U.S. officials persuaded Japan that it cannot separate the North Korean issue -- the leading concern of Tokyo -- from Iran, a leading benefactor of North Korean technology. The sources said Japan is a leading trading partner of Teheran and Tokyo could have more influence with the Islamic republic than the United States.

In December, Komura's Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, visited Tokyo and held talks with Japanese leaders.

From Teheran, however, Japanese diplomats refused to confirm that Komura would make the missile issue a priority on the agenda. Japan's ambassador to Teheran, Takaya Suto, suggested that the missile issue would be dealt with as part of a discussion on proliferation in Asia.

''If the question of missiles are discussed, it would be with a wider concept and with common interest,'' Suto told the Iran Daily newspaper.

Suto said Japan wants to eliminiate weapons of mass destruction. The ambassador said Japan has been promoting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and membership in the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Japan and Iran are expected, however, to focus on economic issues. Officials said Komura and Kharazi will review an agreement signed in December that established a schedule for increased cooperation.

The officials said Japan wants to complete a deal for the sale of telecommunications systems to Teheran.

In an unrelated issue, Kharazi expressed the hope on Monday that Ankara will announce the result of its fact-finding team to investigate the violation of the Iranian air space by Turkish planes. He said the meeting of the Turkish-Iranian commission last week was a success.