Abe Backs Trump’s Cancellation of U.S.-N. Korea Summit

May 27, 2018

St. Petersburg, Russia- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday morning expressed his support for U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to cancel the planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.

"It is regrettable, but I respect and support U.S. President Trump's decision," Abe told reporters in St. Petersburg.

The prime minister said he plans to hold talks with Trump over the telephone soon after returning to Japan.

The Japanese government hopes to maintain its policy of maintaining maximum pressure on North Korea until Pyongyang agrees to carry out complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

Abe is visiting Russia for talks with the country's president, Vladimir Putin. The Japanese leader will return home on Sunday.

Abe also said it is necessary to make a U.S.-N. Korea summit an opportunity to realize substantial progress on North Korea's nuclear, missile and abduction issues.

"I want to have deep discussions with the U.S. president on what to do next," he said.

Tokyo and Washington are also arranging an Abe-Trump meeting on the sidelines of a two-day summit of the Group of Seven major countries in Canada from June 8, informed sources said.

Japan "will work closely with the international community and make its utmost effort to resolve North Korean issues," Abe said, noting the importance of cooperation with the United States and South Korea, as well as with Russia and China.

The prime minister also said he hopes to discuss the North Korean issues in his meeting with Putin in Moscow on Saturday.

On Friday, Trump said the June 12 summit with Kim still remains a possibility after declaring the cancellation on the previous day.

After a speech at an economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday afternoon, Abe noted the need to pursue a U.S.-North Korea summit in order to resolve the nuclear, missile and abduction issues.

"I hope that moves toward such a U.S.-North Korea summit will reemerge while the international community maintains its pressure (on North Korea)," he said. Jiji Press