Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told U.S. President Donald Trump during telephone talks on Monday night that he aims to realize a bilateral meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un to resolve the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea without setting any preconditions.
The Japanese and U.S. leaders also agreed to cooperate with each other in analyzing details of projectiles recently launched by North Korea.
After the telephone talks, Abe told reporters: "I myself must face Workers' Party of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un without setting any conditions. I'm determined to secure any opportunity."
So far, the prime minister has stated that a bilateral meeting with Kim "must be a meeting that can be conducive to resolving the abduction issue."
However, among member countries of six-party talks over North Korea's nuclear issues, only Japan has not held a bilateral meeting with North Korea. Abe's shift in stance seems to indicate a prioritization of realizing a bilateral meeting with Pyongyang.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said: "The prime minister has spoken of his determination more clearly to directly face Chairman Kim."
"To resolve the abduction issue, it's important for Japan to take the initiative," he added.
In Monday's telephone talks, the two leaders coordinated responses to North Korea's launching on Saturday of several short-range projectiles from around Wonsan, a city on North Korea's east coast.
Abe and Trump reconfirmed that they will aim for a swift realization of an agreement in the U.S.-North Korea bilateral meeting in June last year, in which Pyongyang promised total denuclearization.
Abe told reporters: "As to the response to North Korea, I share absolutely the same view as Mr. Trump in all respects."
If the projectiles launched by Pyongyang were ballistic missiles, the actions would violate U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions concerning North Korea. Both Japan and the United States will make detailed analyses of Pyongyang's actions.
In the telephone talks, Abe and Trump also discussed a new trade negotiation between Japan and the United States. They confirmed that the two countries will accelerate the trade talks so that the outcome will be beneficial for both sides.
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