North Korea has reportedly said that Japan should lift an entry ban on North Korean nationals before a bilateral summit between the two can take place.

Japan's Tokyo Shimbun daily on Wednesday quoted a senior North Korean official as saying that Japan should allow travel between the two nations for their ties to improve.

The official reportedly stressed the importance of official talks between the two governments and said the entry ban should not be included in Japan's sanctions on the North.

The daily said that Pyongyang appears to be considering Japan's lifting of the ban as an important move towards building a relationship of trust.

Following weapons tests by Pyongyang in 2006, Japan adopted a set of unilateral sanctions, including an entry ban on North Koreans.

[Photo : YONHAP News]