Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono will receive his Mongolian counterpart, Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar, next week to discuss North Korea. The news was released by a Japanese government source quoted by the local newspaper "Japan Times".
Tsogtbaatar, whose country has diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, met with senior officials in that country in early February - his visit to Japan will be his first since he was appointed foreign minister in October. According to the source, Kono will likely ask Mongolia to increase pressure on North Korea for its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. It will also seek cooperation on the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the 70s and 80s.
The Mongolian minister recently met in Pyongyang with North Korea's head of state Kim Yong Nam and the senior official in charge of foreign affairs, Ri Su Yong. Wary of the recent thaw between North and South Korea over the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the South, the Japanese government wants to use Mongolian ties with North Korea to "get any information" on leader Kim Jong Un's "true intentions" , reports "Japan Times".
Japan and Mongolia agreed in March last year to urge North Korea to comply with UN Security Council resolutions against its weapons programs. They also agreed on a five-year action plan to further develop bilateral ties including security and the economy. Kono will aim to confirm progress on the plan with Tsogtbaatar and strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Mongolia.
(Nova)