Prime Minister Erna Solberg, and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,met on Wednesday in Tokyo. The state leaders agreed to “maximize pressure” on Kim Jong-un.
Norway has diplomatic ties with North Korea, but Japan has been among the countries that have fought for increased penalties after last month’s missile tests, reported the Japan Times. USA’s UN ambassador, Nikki Haley,has said that North Korea’s rocket launches “bring us closer to war”.
“We confirmed that we want to increase pressure on North Korea to make the country change its policy,” said Abe, who wants to prevent Kim Jong-un’s nuclear and rocket ambitions.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Japan and Norway also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the development of the Arctic region, according to Abe.
“We will work closely to maintain and strengthen an international order based on legal certainty,” said Abe, who is concerned about China’s expansive marine activities in the Arctic.
“We have also discussed how we can strengthen our trade relations, and I look forward to an economic partnership between our countries in the future,” said Solberg.
Japan entered into new trade agreements with the EU last December, without Norway being involved.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
