Ishiba meets with family members of victims of kidnapping to North Korea, saying, "Honest conversation between North Korea and Japan is important."

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed his willingness to talk between the leaders of North Korea and Japan at a meeting with the family of Japanese victims kidnapped by North Korea.

Prime Minister Ishiba said at his official residence today that it is very important for the leaders to speak frankly with the families of Japanese victims kidnapped by the North for the first time since taking office.

The government also promised to do its best by sharing the idea of solving the problem of Japanese victims kidnapped by the North, saying, "Solving the problem of Japanese people in the North is a battle against time."At the

meeting, Sakie Yokota, the mother of Megumi, a victim of the abduction, called for an early realization of the North Korea-Japan summit.

However, Takuya Yokota, the representative of the Family Association of Japanese Abduction Victims by North Korea and Megumi's younger brother, expressed opposition to the idea of establishing mutual liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang.

Prime Minister Ishiba made a pledge to establish a mutual liaison office between Japan and North Korea during last month's election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.