TOKYO, March 19 (UPI) -- A visit to Japan Saturday by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice apparently did not resolve the two nation's dispute about the safety of U.S. beef.
Tokyo banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 over health concerns that Washington says are overblown, the Kyodo news service reported reported.
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, during his talks with Rice, said he fully understands the "deep interest" of the United States in the issue, but he could not clearly say when Japan can come up with a conclusion.
"We must deal with the issue appropriately to make sure the problem would not mar Japan-U.S. relations," Machimura said.
The United States wants Japan to quickly follow up on an agreement reached in October for Japan to resume imports of U.S. beef from cattle aged 20 months or younger.
Although several months have passed, Japan continues to argue the safety of U.S. beef from younger cattle has not been scientifically verified by Japan's Food Safety Commission.
