By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will arrive here Sunday for a summit with President Lee Myung-bak.
``Lee will hold a summit with Aso on Monday to exchange views on a wide range of issues, such as maintaining and developing Korea-Japan relations and substantially boosting economic cooperation,'' Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release. Aso will leave after the summit.
Other issues include the continued dispute over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, the launch of a joint development program in Afghanistan and increasing bilateral cooperation on international issues. The United States has asked the two countries to send more support to rebuild Afghanistan.
The two leaders will hold a joint press conference following their summit, the presidential office said.
The Lee-Aso meeting, the third of its kind since the Japanese premier came into office in September, comes after Tokyo announced plans to launch a survey of its marine resources, a move that has often led to conflicts with Seoul, as Korea views it as a Japanese attempt to lay claim to the South Korean islets of Dokdo in the East Sea.
A Cheong Wa Dae official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Japanese side had wished to discuss issues related to ``fishing'' in waters between the two countries at the upcoming summit. But Seoul has refused to put the issue on the table, the official said.
Moon Tae-young, spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Thursday that the agenda of the Lee-Aso talks will not include Dokdo islets.