On September 19, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio affirmed that he is ready to dialogue with North Korean President Kim Jong Un to outline a roadmap for reconciliation in the context of the two countries' conflict.
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| Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio speaks at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA. (Source: Hindustan Times) |
Days after Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's government announced its readiness to hold a summit with North Korea, the Japanese leader continued to emphasize the above proposal at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York, USA.
“From the perspective of opening a new era together, I would like to express my determination to meet Chairman Kim Jong Un directly at any time without any conditions,” Prime Minister Kishida affirmed.
Japan is ready to resolve any issues with North Korea, even including Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese civilians to train its spies.
Abductions have long been a hot topic in Japan-North Korea relations. Japanese officials say at least 17 Japanese were abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. They included schoolchildren and coastal residents, who were allegedly forced onto small boats and sailed to North Korea. In 2002, Pyongyang officially admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese and returned five of its citizens.
In the past, former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a historic visit to Pyongyang while in office in 2002, thereby opening up the prospect of normalizing relations between the two countries.
However, bilateral relations saw a decline after Pyongyang decided to test its first nuclear missile in October 2006.
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