Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday declined to answer lawmakers question on the current trip of one of his advisers to North Korea.
The adviser Isao Iijima is now in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, and lawmakers are in the dark about his mission in the Communist nation. Iijima had also been a top aide to former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Members of the Parliament's Upper House budget committee asked Abe whether he knew of the trip in advance and had given his permission. But the Prime Minister declined to answer the question directly, Japanese media reported.
He said the government alone would work to settle issues concerning North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and its abductions of Japanese nationals. Abe referred to the 2002 Pyongyang Declaration by Japan and North Korea aiming to normalize ties after resolving pending issues.
Stating that his government's stance remains unchanged, Abe said he wanted a complete resolution of the abduction issue in particular, using both dialog and pressure.
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