Jun 08 (NHK) - With days to go until an unprecedented US-North Korea summit in Singapore, the leaders of Japan and the United States have discussed North Korea.
US President Donald Trump said, "Things are moving along very well. It looks like the meeting is set and the summit is ready to go. Subjects are always to change. We'll never know in this world. Subjects are always to change. But the summit is ready to go. North Korean representatives in Singapore are working very hard as people from the US. It's all going along very fine. I hope this continues on this track."
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "I sincerely hope that the upcoming historic US-North Korea summit will serve as an opportunity to drastically improve peace and stability in the Northeast Asian region. I want to reaffirm our close cooperation toward making the summit a success, and to make progress on the nuclear, missile and abduction issues."
Abe is believed to have reminded Trump about Japan's security issues in the hope that they make it on the agenda when Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday.
For Japan, a resolution would cover all ranges of ballistic missiles and types of weapons of mass destruction in the North's arsenal.
Abe is also likely to have asked Trump again to raise the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents.
The Japanese government says at least 17 people were abducted in the 1970s and 80s. 12 of them remain unaccounted for.
