TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left for Italy on Thursday morning to attend a two-day summit of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries from Friday in Taormina, Sicily.

The government jet carrying Abe took off from Tokyo International Airport at Haneda.

At the summit, Abe plans to call on his G-7 colleagues to make concerted efforts toward increasing pressure on North Korea by recognizing "a new level of threat" from the reclusive state's nuclear and missile development.

"North Korea has become a major threat not only for East Asia but also for the world," Abe told reporters before his departure.

Abe also said he will lead the discussion on North Korea so that the G-7 can take a unified response to the North Korean situation.

"I want to exchange frank opinions with other G-7 leaders including newcomers," Abe said. US President Donald Trump is among the newcomers.

Free trade will be another key theme for the summit, which will bring together the leaders of the seven major nations--Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,

Japan and the United States--as well as the European Union.

Abe plans to raise an alarm over the spread of protectionism and stress the importance of the G-7 leading the international community in maintaining free and open economies. (Jiji Press)