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| Japanese Prime Minister Abe and U.S. President Trump (File Photo) |
TAORMINA, Italy (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed Friday in Italy that pressure, not dialogue, is needed now in tackling the threat from North Korea.
The leaders agreed in their talks in Taormina just ahead of the Group of Seven industrialized nations' summit, to work with all countries in persuading North Korea to denuclearize, and that China, Pyongyang's primary diplomatic and economic benefactor, has an important role to play.
The agreement to prioritize pressure over dialogue was reached despite Trump saying earlier this month that he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "under the right circumstances."
Abe has stressed that direct dialogue with North Korea should not be resumed while Pyongyang continues provocative actions including testing ballistic missiles, the latest just last Sunday.
Trump told Abe that the issues presented by North Korea, which continues to develop nuclear weapons as well, are "a world problem and it will be solved at some point."
"It will be solved, you can bet on that," Trump said at the outset of the talks, the portion open to the press.
Read the full story at The Mainichi