Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that Japan is seeking to resolve the North Korean abduction, nuclear and missile issues "in a comprehensive manner" and normalize diplomatic ties with the North, following Pyongyang's recent diplomatic moves.
Speaking at a news conference in Amman, Abe also reiterated Japan's commitment to keeping pressure on North Korea so as to persuade the country to ditch its nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction.
The weapons, including ballistic missiles that could hit not only Japan but also the United States, must be abandoned in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" way, he said.