Feb 15 (Nikkei) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed during a phone call Wednesday night to continue exerting maximum pressure on North Korea, while reaffirming that the reclusive state must agree to denuclearize before any dialogue can happen.
"Even at this moment, North Korea is continuing to develop nuclear and missile weapons," Abe told reporters after his phone call with Trump. "We need to directly face this reality. A dialogue for the sake of dialogue is meaningless."
"Both Japan and the U.S. believe there cannot be a meaningful dialogue unless it is toward the complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment of nuclear weapons," he said.
The two leaders, talking for just over an hour, also discussed the importance of joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea. "The alliance between Japan and the U.S. will not waver at all. We will continue working together closely," Abe said.
This was the leaders' first call since Feb. 2. Abe in the meantime has met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Japan and South Korean President Moon Jae-in while visiting South Korea for the opening of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
There is concern in Tokyo not only over potential talks between Washington and Pyongyang, but also over the ongoing dialogue between the two Koreas. Abe probably hoped to ensure he was still largely on the same page with Trump.
