Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump have reportedly agreed to cooperate on the denuclearization of North Korea and the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals by the North in the 1970s and '80s. 

Japan's public broadcaster NHK said the two leaders reached the agreement during telephone talks on Thursday morning. It said the 20-minute-long conversation was arranged at the request of Washington. 

According to NHK, Trump explained the outcome of the recent meeting in Pyongyang between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the ongoing preparations for the U.S.-North Korea summit. 

Trump said Washington is aware of Japan’s potential role in Korean Peninsula issues and hopes to continue close cooperation with Tokyo, calling Japan an important “player.” 

Abe congratulated Trump on the return of three U.S. detainees from the North, saying it was a significant achievement. 

The Japanese leader also briefed Trump on the results of his trilateral summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Tokyo on Wednesday as well as his bilateral summits with them on the sidelines. 

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