Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that a summit meeting with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is necessary to resolve the issue of Japanese abductees.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 12th, Prime Minister Ishiba said at the House of Representatives Budget Committee the previous day, "A summit between the leaders is necessary," adding, "Otherwise, there might be no movement."
However, Ishiba added that it would take a long time before a summit with Chairman Kim could be realized.
Regarding the issue of establishing a Tokyo-Pyongyang liaison office, which he advocated during the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election last September, he avoided specific comments. Ishiba only said, "I am well aware that there are opposing opinions from the families of the abductees." This appears to be a statement mindful of the opposition from the Japanese abductees' families to the opening of the liaison office.
On the Northern Territories issue (the Japanese term for the four Kuril Islands), he said, "There is no change in the policy to resolve the sovereignty of the four islands and conclude a peace treaty with Russia." The four Kuril Islands are a disputed territory between Russia and Japan, currently under effective Russian control.
Regarding relations with the U.S. Donald Trump administration starting January next year, he stated, "It will be about which side takes what role in maintaining freedom and peace in the Asia-Pacific region and promoting economic development, and creating mutual synergistic effects."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
