(1) With regard to the North Korea problem, Prime Minister Abe emphasized that North Korea launched a ballistic missile again through the sky above Japan on September 15 which posed an unprecedented, grave and imminent threat to the security of the international community. Prime Minister Abe highly appreciated that a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution that includes imposing exceptionally severe sanction measures on North Korea was unanimously adopted, and stated that the relevant UNSC resolutions, including the latest one, would only demonstrate their true value when they were fully implemented.
(2) In response, President Macron explained that France shared Japan’s concerns and that France would also like to make a resolute response.
(3) The two leaders also shared recognition on the importance of the role of China and Russia in dealing with the North Korea problem, and confirmed that Japan and France would cooperate closely in the international community, including at the UNSC, toward strengthening sanctions.
(4) Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe requested understanding and cooperation for promptly resolving the abductions issue.