North Korea

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: North Korea has asked for dialogue as a result of Japan and the U.S.’s leadership of the international community in applying maximum pressure. We hope that progress can be made in the nuclear and missile issues and the abduction issue, which is important for Japan, through the first U.S.-DPRK summit in history. I admire your courage in deciding to hold a summit.

President Donald Trump: I look forward to meeting with Workers’ Party of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un. High-level officials (of the U.S. and North Korean governments) are already engaged in direct dialogue. While we hope the talks will be successful, we need to think about other options in case they fail.

My meeting with Kim will take place in early June or earlier. Five locations are being considered for the venue of the talks.

I will bring up the abduction issue (at the U.S.-DPRK summit). I understand that this is very important for Japan. I will do my best for Japan.

Abe: I appreciate your statement that the abduction issue will be raised (at the U.S.-DPRK summit).

Abe, Trump agreed to work toward North Korea’s complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of nuclear arms and ballistic missiles and to maintain maximum pressure on the DPRK.

Korean Peninsula

Trump: Strictly speaking, the war has not ended on the Korean Peninsula. I strongly hope for an end to the Korean War.

Economy

Trump: Japan buys equipment from the U.S. and we buy many things from Japan. We would also like to discuss trade and commerce with Japan.

Syria

Abe: The use of chemical weapons is extremely inhuman and absolutely impermissible. We support the resolve of the U.S., the UK, and France not to allow the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.