Japan’s Foreign Ministry has indicated that Tokyo will only seek to hold a summit with Pyongyang when there is some progress on the issue of the abductions of Japanese nationals by the North in the 1970s and 1980s. 

The Mainichi Shimbun said on Wednesday that Kenji Kanasugi, the director-general of Japan's Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, relayed the ministry’s stance during the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s foreign affairs committee meeting on Tuesday. 

Kanasugi said that in order to arrange a summit with North Korea, Japan must first attempt to resolve the abduction issue. However, he also expressed hope to get the axis of Japan and North Korea moving at an appropriate time.  

The Japanese newspaper said several participants at the meeting emphasized that holding a Japan-North Korea summit is the only way to resolve the abduction issue.  

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