Japan and the United States on Thursday pledged close cooperation in tackling the fast-spreading swine flu, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

In their telephone conversations, Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced hope of close cooperation with each other in dealing with the swine flu crisis, it said.

Nakasone, who is on a visit to New Zealand, also called for concerted efforts with the US side to restart the six-party talks on the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Clinton, for her part, vowed to work closely with Japan on the denuclearization and abduction issues.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)