Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that Japan would not "tolerate" a nuclear-armed Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and urged closer international cooperation to stop such an outcome, a BBC report said on Tuesday.

In a BBC interview before his trip to London on Tuesday, Abe said, "Japan cannot tolerate North Korea (DPRK) owning nuclear weapons nor the means to deliver them."

"That would be a serious threat, not only to Japan but to the entire region, and also a threat to the non-proliferation regime," the prime minister.

He also defended his plans for Japan to develop a more assertive foreign policy, saying the DPRK poses a very grave threat to the world.

"If the North Koreans (DPRK) are to possess nuclear weapons that may lead to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and that could fundamentally undermine the nonproliferation regime, which may then lead to more problems regarding Iran for example." said Abe.

The minister added that international cooperation, including cooperation with European countries and NATO member states, "is essential in order to prevent this happening."

Abe left for Europe on Tuesday morning for his first visit to Europe since taking office in September last year. He is scheduled to hold discussions with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday afternoon.

During his five-day visit, Abe will also meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt in Brussels, and French President Jacques Chirac in Paris.

According to Kyodo News, Abe is also scheduled to meet the heads of the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and will give a speech at the North Atlantic Council, NATO's top decision-making body.

Source: Xinhua