Oct 31 (NHK) - The leaders of Japan and the Philippines say they will work closely together to address North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte held talks in Tokyo on Monday.
After the talks, Abe said he confirmed with Duterte that the 2 countries would cooperate to address common issues in the region, such as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and its abductions of foreign nationals.
Abe said the 2 leaders agreed that it is important that countries strictly implement new UN sanctions against North Korea.
Duterte told reporters that he condemns the continuing missile launches by North Korea and called on all parties concerned to return to the negotiating table to peacefully resolve the issue.
Duterte will chair a series of ASEAN-related summits next month in the Philippines. Abe will attend some of them.
