MISSILE TOKYO, JUNE 17, SPA -- JAPAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER AND THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN ON SATURDAY CALLED NORTH KOREA’S POSSIBLE MISSILE TEST A PROVOCATIVE ACTION, AND TOKYO URGED PYONGYANG THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS NOT TO LAUNCH, NEWS REPORTS SAID. JAPAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER TARO ASO AND U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN THOMAS SCHIEFFER MET ON SATURDAY EVENING AMID MOUNTING SPECULATION THAT THE NORTH MAY SOON TEST A LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABLE OF REACHING THE UNITED STATES WITH A LIGHT PAYLOAD. JAPANESE AND SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA REPORTS SAID THE NORTH HAD LOADED BOOSTER ROCKETS ONTO A LAUNCH PAD IN PREPARATION FOR THE TEST, EXPECTED AS EARLY AS SUNDAY. SCHIEFFER MET WITH ASO AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY TO CONFER ON THE POTENTIAL LAUNCH, AND THE U.S. ENVOY REITERATED TO REPORTERS WASHINGTON’S STANCE THAT THE TEST WOULD BE A PROVOCATIVE ACT. THE NORTH HAS BEEN UNDER A SELF-IMPOSED MORATORIUM ON LONG-RANGE MISSILE TESTS SINCE 1999. KYODO NEWS AGENCY ALSO REPORTED THAT SCHIEFFER SAID THE U.S. AND JAPAN WERE CONSIDERING SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA IF IT WENT AHEAD WITH THE LAUNCH, BUT THE U.S. EMBASSY DENIED THAT, AND SCHIEFFER SAID NOTHING PUBLICLY ABOUT SANCTIONS. --SPA 17/06/2006 15:58 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/369301