Japan diplomat talks with N. Korean official in Moscow

October 22, 2017

Moscow- Senior Japanese diplomat Kenji Kanasugi said Saturday that he has had some conversations with Choe Son Hui, head of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's North American department, in Moscow.

Kanasugi, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, conveyed a message during the conversations on the sidelines of a nuclear nonproliferation conference in the Russian capital, he told reporters.

Kanasugi declined to elaborate on the message. But he is believed to have expressed Japan's protests over North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development.

On Friday, the Japanese official said he will explain his country's stance if he has an opportunity to talk with her.

Kanasugi is Japan's top negotiator in the currently stalled six-party talks aimed at realizing North Korea's nuclear disarmament. Jiji Press