Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated his call for an unconditional summit between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 

Speaking at an event arranged on Monday by the families of Japanese presumed to be abducted by the North Korean regime, Abe said he will sit down with Kim without conditions, act boldly and miss no small opportunities to resolve the abductee issue. 

Noting that Tuesday will mark the passing of as many as 17 years since the first North Korea-Japan summit was held in Pyongyang, Abe said any further delay in tackling the issue should not be permitted for the sake of the victims and their families. 

While meeting with the abductees’ families earlier in the day, Abe also revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump promised during the recent G7 Summit in France that he will do his best and cooperate with Japan to resolve the issue. 

Abe’s remarks come as around 60 Japanese civilian delegates are in Pyongyang on a friendly visit. 

Abe initially argued that improving relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang is impossible without resolving the abductees’ issue, but in May of last year, he backtracked on the stance and began to stress the need for an unconditional summit between the two countries.