Abe, Trump to affirm cooperation on abduction, other N. Korea issues

February 21, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen reaffirming bilateral cooperation on North Korean issues in phone talks Wednesday night, ahead of the second U.S.-North Korea summit next week.

The issues include abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea and the communist country's nuclear and missile development programs, informed sources said.

Abe expects to hear explanations from Trump about progress in negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

The two leaders are expected to confirm cooperation toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agree on the need to fully implement U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions against North Korea, the sources said.

The prime minster will also ask Trump to convey Japan's wish to resolve the abduction issue to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when they meet in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for two days from Feb. 27.

At a parliamentary committee meeting Wednesday, Abe said he trusts Trump, adding that Japan will provide strong support to him. Jiji Press