TOKYO: Japan's prime minister on Friday welcomed the surprise announcement of a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un by means of the tip of May.
"I highly appreciate North Korea's change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation," Shinzo Abe said, including that he planned to seek advice from the United States to satisfy Trump "as early as April".
Japan has been wary about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement at the Korean peninsula, with Abe caution on Thursday that "talks for the sake of talks are meaningless".
But he sounded a good be aware at the planned Trump-Kim summit, hailing it as "the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure".
"There is no change in policy for Japan and the United States," he added.
"We will keep putting maximum pressure until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is complete, verifiable and irreversible."
Abe said he had spoken to Trump this morning and "agreed that I'd like to visit the US and have a summit with him as early as April".
A readout of the call from Japan's overseas ministry said it happened shortly sooner than the surprise announcement about the summit used to be made in Washington.
Trump advised Abe that Kim "has made a commitment to denuclearise and hopes to build peace with the United States," the readout said.
Trump "explained that this is the achievement of maximum pressure" put at the North, and showed that Washington would "continue sanctions and military pressure" on Pyongyang, it added.
Japan, an in depth US best friend in the area, is in the direct firing line of North Korean missiles and noticed two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and lifting tensions to fever pitch.
South Korean envoys are expected to seek advice from Japan next week to brief Abe on the most recent trends in the fast-moving apparent detente.
Trump and Kim are expected to satisfy by means of the tip of May, though there has been no affirmation of a precise date or location for the surprise summit.
Trump himself showed the plans in a tweet hailing "great progress" in the push to steer Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme.
"Meeting being planned!" he tweeted.
"I highly appreciate North Korea's change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation," Shinzo Abe said, including that he planned to seek advice from the United States to satisfy Trump "as early as April".
Japan has been wary about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement at the Korean peninsula, with Abe caution on Thursday that "talks for the sake of talks are meaningless".
But he sounded a good be aware at the planned Trump-Kim summit, hailing it as "the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure".
"There is no change in policy for Japan and the United States," he added.
"We will keep putting maximum pressure until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is complete, verifiable and irreversible."
Abe said he had spoken to Trump this morning and "agreed that I'd like to visit the US and have a summit with him as early as April".
A readout of the call from Japan's overseas ministry said it happened shortly sooner than the surprise announcement about the summit used to be made in Washington.
Trump advised Abe that Kim "has made a commitment to denuclearise and hopes to build peace with the United States," the readout said.
Trump "explained that this is the achievement of maximum pressure" put at the North, and showed that Washington would "continue sanctions and military pressure" on Pyongyang, it added.
Japan, an in depth US best friend in the area, is in the direct firing line of North Korean missiles and noticed two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and lifting tensions to fever pitch.
South Korean envoys are expected to seek advice from Japan next week to brief Abe on the most recent trends in the fast-moving apparent detente.
Trump and Kim are expected to satisfy by means of the tip of May, though there has been no affirmation of a precise date or location for the surprise summit.
Trump himself showed the plans in a tweet hailing "great progress" in the push to steer Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme.
"Meeting being planned!" he tweeted.
Japan PM hails North Korea talks on basis of denuclearisation
![Japan PM hails North Korea talks on basis of denuclearisation]()
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