A summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is unlikely to take place anytime soon, given recent statements from Pyongyang, Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada said Monday.
"So far, the recent statements from North Korea indicated that they are not ready to deal with those outstanding issues of concern" with Japan, Yamada said at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington.
Resolving Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals and its nuclear and missile development is "very important" for Kishida, Yamada said.
"If North Korea is forthcoming, the prime minister is ready to have a dialogue," he added.
Last month, Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the North Korean leader, and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui expressed frustration at Kishida's push to resolve the abduction issue and rejected any contact with Japan.
On a White House summit between Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden set for Wednesday, Yamada said that the two leaders are expected to discuss China, in particular how the country affects their nations' economic security.
He added that Kishida and Biden are expected to talk about ways to stabilize relations with China through "candid" dialogue.
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