NHK reported today that Foreign Minister Kono told the Upper House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense this morning that with regard to Prime Minister Abe’s recent proposal to hold an “unconditional” summit with the DPRK’s Kim Jong Un, the government’s policy of resolving the abduction issue through dialogue remains unchanged. He said Abe’s proposal simply means that Japan will not “say this and that” about the issue even before the talks begin, but went on to say that if the talks are held, they should contribute to a solution to the issue. Kono was quoted as saying “nothing has been decided about the talks,” including whether there will several sessions or just one, and that Japan continues to be in contact with North Korea through various channels and the abduction issue is certainly being raised as part of the coordination process.