The talks, which involve North and South Korea, Russia, China, Japan, and the United States, were launched in 2003 to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions.
The Japanese premier said that in order to work out a coordinated and concrete approach aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its plans to develop nuclear weapons, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation between Japan, Russia and China.
He also reaffirmed that the six-party format is the most appropriate form for the talks.
In September 2005, North Korea signed a "joint statement" committing itself to abandoning its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.
But the reclusive Communist state boycotted the talks two months later following Washington's demand that its accounts at a Macau-based bank be frozen for alleged money laundering and counterfeiting of U.S. dollars. Since then, North Korea has conducted its first nuclear test and tested ballistic missiles.
The talks resumed last December following a 13-month standoff, but ended without result. At a symbolic ceremony, the six participating delegations issued a joint statement reiterating their commitment to further negotiations in the same format.
Pyongyang said the future of talks depends on the position of the United States, and insisted that the possibility of scrapping its controversial nuclear program can only be discussed once financial sanctions are lifted.
Alexander Losyukov, the new chief Russian delegate at the talks, said Wednesday that the U.S. must lift financial sanctions imposed against Pyongyang if progress is to be achieved.
"The U.S. should have taken steps towards lifting financial restrictions and discussed the issue with the Koreans," Alexander Losyukov said in an interview.
After a meeting with North Korea's Kim Kye Gwan in Berlin Tuesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator, said he was hopeful the talks can be resumed by the end of January.
Meanwhile, Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi is scheduled to travel to Beijing and Moscow later this month to discuss the North Korean situation with Chinese and Russian officials.
In Moscow, the Japanese diplomat will attend the first round of a strategic dialogue between Russia and Japan, which will focus on North Korea's nuclear ambitions and the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands.
