Minister leaves for Mongolia to discuss N. Korea's abductions
State minister Keiji Furuya, who handles the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals, on Monday left Tokyo for Ulan Bator to discuss the issue with Mongolian government officials.
While attending the inaugural ceremony Wednesday of re-elected Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj as a special government envoy, Firuya will present Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's letter to Mongolian officials to seek the country's support to move forward the long-stalled abduction issue, given Mongolia's diplomatic ties with North Korea.
Before his departure at Narita airport for a four-day visit to Mongolia, Furuya told reporters that he hopes to discuss strengthening of bilateral partnership and the abduction issue to obtain cooperation in solving the issue.
North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s remain a key obstacle to the normalization of ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang. North Korea has yet to reinvestigate the cases as promised.
Mongolia has played a key role as a liaison between Japan and North Korea and hosted senior working-level talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang last November.
==Kyodo
Copyright 2013 Kyodo News International.
While attending the inaugural ceremony Wednesday of re-elected Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj as a special government envoy, Firuya will present Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's letter to Mongolian officials to seek the country's support to move forward the long-stalled abduction issue, given Mongolia's diplomatic ties with North Korea.
Before his departure at Narita airport for a four-day visit to Mongolia, Furuya told reporters that he hopes to discuss strengthening of bilateral partnership and the abduction issue to obtain cooperation in solving the issue.
North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s remain a key obstacle to the normalization of ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang. North Korea has yet to reinvestigate the cases as promised.
Mongolia has played a key role as a liaison between Japan and North Korea and hosted senior working-level talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang last November.
==Kyodo
Copyright 2013 Kyodo News International.
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