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Japanese premier says ready to meet with Kim Jong-un without preconditions

The head of the Japanese government said Tokyo was poised to fully normalize relations with Pyongyang

UNITED NATIONS, September 26. /TASS/. Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he was ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without any preconditions.

"As the new Prime Minister of Japan, I am ready to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-un without any conditions," he told the general political debate of the 75th UN General Assembly.

The head of the Japanese government said Tokyo was poised to fully normalize relations with Pyongyang through "comprehensively resolving the outstanding issues of concern such as the abductions [of Japanese citizens by the North Korean intelligence], nuclear and missile issues, as well as settlement of the unfortunate past."

He went on to say that establishing a constructive relationship between Japan and North Korea will not only serve the interests of both sides but will also greatly contribute to regional peace and stability.

"I will miss no opportunity to take actions with all my dedication," he said.

The issue of abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korean intelligence services remains among the most painful issues in relations between two states, which have no official diplomatic ties. In 2002, Pyongyang admitted the abduction of 13 Japanese citizens, allowing five of them to return to their homeland. The rest were declared dead, and their relatives received remains whose identity could not be established.

In May 2014, Japan and North Korea agreed to carry out a new investigation into the abductions, but a commission established for the purpose was later disbanded on Pyongyang’s initiative.

The UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week is being carried out between September 22 and 29, in the format of pre-recorded video statements.

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

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