Abe Expresses Eagerness to Meet Kim Jong Un

June 8, 2018

Washington- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed an eagerness Thursday to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by Pyongyang.

The abduction issue "needs to be resolved between me and leader Kim in the end," Abe said at a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump after a meeting in Washington.

Trump said he will bring up the abduction issue during a meeting with Kim in Singapore on Tuesday, as asked by Abe. "I will follow his wishes, and we will be discussing that with North Korea, absolutely. Absolutely."

Abe said he thinks Trump will explain Japan's position on the abductions to Kim as the U.S. president is "one of the leaders who understand the issue the most."

The Japanese and U.S. leaders agreed to directly exchange views after the Singapore summit.

Abe expressed Japan's readiness to offer economic cooperation to North Korea once the two countries normalize diplomatic relations as stipulated in the 2002 bilateral declaration.

The two leaders agreed not to lift sanctions on North Korea until the country takes concrete actions toward its denuclearization.

Abe said Trump stated that the sanctions will not be lifted until Pyongyang takes actions toward its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization and that Japan is in full agreement.

Referring to his campaign of maximum pressure on North Korea, Trump said it is "absolutely in effect."

"We don't use the term anymore because we're going into a friendly negotiation," Trump said, adding that if the talks fail, "I will be using it again."

Abe and Trump agreed to launch new trade talks led by Japanese economy minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as early as July.

"The United States seeks a bilateral deal with Japan that is based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity," Trump said, reiterating his push to conclude a free trade agreement with Japan.

"We're working hard to reduce our trade imbalance, which is very substantial," Trump said.

The Abe-Trump meeting was the seventh of its kind and the first since one in Florida in April. Jiji Press