Politics
22:14, 28-May-2018
Abe, Trump agree to meet before possible DPRK-US summit
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet before a probable summit between Trump and the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, Kyodo news reported.
Abe made the announcement after a phone conversation with Trump, saying that they had agreed to work together to make the Trump-Kim summit "meaningful," according to Kyodo news.
The American president and the DPRK leader were originally scheduled to meet in Singapore on June 12, but Trump canceled the summit last Thursday in a private letter to Kim. However, the summit was put back on track over the weekend after a second meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who said the DPRK leader remained committed to denuclearization.
Trump told reporters on Saturday that his summit with Kim could go ahead as originally planned. "We're looking at June 12th in Singapore. That hasn't changed."
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Tokyo is reportedly afraid of being sidelined in talks about situations on the Korean Peninsula. During Abe's visit to the US in April, he urged Trump to press Pyongyang on short- and medium-range missiles capable of hitting Japan in addition to the nuclear issue; Abe also raised the issue of the alleged abduction of Japanese nationals by the DPRK.
With the Trump-Kim summit around the corner, Japan seems to be eager to underline its concerns over the talks.