Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were set to focus Wednesday on the thorny issues of the abduction of Japanese nationals and the DPRK's missile program during talks aimed at normalizing bilateral ties between the two Asian neighbors.
Taking place in Mongolia, the two-day talks are part of the six-party deal to scrap Pyongyang's nuclear programs in exchange for aid and diplomatic recognition.
A total of 15 Japanese delegates and nine DPRK representatives were to attend the gathering.
The two nations held similar talks in Hanoi in March, but the discussions broke down in a simmering feud over the abduction of Japanese nationals by DPRK agents decades ago.
But Japan says Pyongyang is showing a more positive attitude this time around.
"There are more indications of some positiveness for coming to tomorrow's meeting in Mongolia for discussions with Japan," Mitsuo Sabaka, a spokesman for Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, said Tuesday.
Sabaka told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Australia that Japan is expecting a positive outcome from the talks.
The issue of the abductees, who were kidnapped by DPRK agents from their homeland in the 1970s and 1980s, remains a major stumbling block toward forging diplomatic ties.
Japan says it will not resume diplomatic ties with Pyongyang unless the abduction issue is resolved, while the DPRK insists the case is closed and demands compensation for Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
Source: Xinhua
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