Aso meets abductees' kin, vows full efforts to deal with issue

TOKYO, Oct. 2 Kyodo - Prime Minister Taro Aso pledged Thursday to relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea that he will make all-efforts to deal with the issue, saying, ''The abduction issue is a fight against time.''

The family members were originally scheduled to meet Chief Cabinet Secretary
Takeo Kawamura, who is the minister in charge of the abduction issue, but Aso
suddenly decided to meet them himself at his office.
The prime minister's decision to meet with the families so soon after assuming
the premiership last week is apparently aimed at showing his intention to deal
with the issue vigorously.
Aso told the families that he feels frustrated as negotiations with North Korea
have not progressed. ''The abductions are an extremely big problem as it is an
ongoing issue,'' he said.
North Korea had promised Japan it would set up a panel in early September to
investigate the abduction cases after the two countries agreed in August that
North Korea would conduct a reinvestigation as soon as possible.
But following former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's abrupt resignation
announcement on Sept. 1, North Korea told Japan it will be suspending the
launch of the committee until it confirms the policy of the new Japanese
administration.
Japan was to lift some of its sanctions on North Korea such as a ban on
allowing charter flights and restrictions on people's visits between the
countries after the investigations are confirmed to have taken place.
After meeting with Aso, Shigeo Iizuka, the 70-year-old brother of abductee
Yaeko Taguchi and head of a group formed by the relatives, told reporters he
felt Aso has a firm desire to deal with the abduction issue as a national one.
Meanwhile, one of the family members said in the meeting that North Korea will
not listen to Japan unless Japan's political situation becomes more stable and
solid, Iizuka said.
==Kyodo