Russia and Japan agree to sanction North Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to strictly implement UN sanctions against North Korea.

Speaking on the sidelines of the APEC Summit, Prime Minister Abe stressed that the two sides will continue to cooperate closely on the North Korea issue.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of APEC 2017 in Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

This week, Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan would freeze the assets of 35 North Korean groups and individuals as part of new sanctions. The Japanese leader said the additional sanctions were aimed at deterring North Korea's weapons program and as part of efforts to resolve the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

Prime Minister Abe is considered a leader with a tough stance on North Korea. In a meeting with US President Donald Trump earlier this week, Mr. Abe affirmed that Japan always supports US policy, in which all options can be considered to control provocations related to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The Japanese Prime Minister also said that it was time to put maximum pressure on North Korea, and called for a greater role for China in forcing North Korea to give up its nuclear programs./.

According to VOV