Trump-Kim summit 'indispensable' for resolving North Korea crisis: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe
On Friday Trump said it was possible the summit could still go ahead, perhaps even on June 12 as originally planned.
Published: 25th May 2018 09:40 PM | Last Updated: 25th May 2018 09:40 PM | A+A A-
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, May 25, 2018. | AP
SAINT PETERSBURG: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday Tokyo was disappointed by the cancellation of the summit between the US and North Korean leaders, saying it was necessary to make progress.
"In the future we need such a meeting -- it is indispensable to resolve the problems which have accumulated," he said at Russia's annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled the high-stakes summit with Kim Jong Un, following what the White House called a "trail of broken promises" by North Korea.
However on Friday Trump said it was possible the summit could still go ahead, perhaps even on June 12 as originally planned.
"Nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction, an effective means of destroying all these types of weapons is needed," said Abe, over whose country North Korea has fired missiles as it has tested its efforts to build rockets that can reach the United States.
"That is the main goal of negotiations between these countries (US and North Korea) and it is namely by holding such a summit that we need to move things forward," he added.
Abe said other countries should continue to put pressure on North Korea to respect UN resolutions concerning its nuclear and missle programmes.
"The most important (thing) is that we continue our efforts," said Abe.
