Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda brought forward his dovish foreign policies in his first policy address at the parliament Monday afternoon, vowing to engage the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on bilateral ties.
On the issue of the DPRK's past abductions of Japanese nationals, which was regarded by Japan as the biggest block hindering the normalization of bilateral ties, Fukuda proposed a dialogue-oriented approach and pledged to "maximize efforts" to settle the unfortunate past.
However, Fukuda insisted that the DPRK must return any remaining abductees at the earliest possible date.
The 71-year-old newly-elected premier, who is famous for his friendly attitude toward Japan's Asian neighbors and close ties with China, reiterated his moderate policies on China and South Korea.
He promised to make continued efforts to establish a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests with China and to further strengthen the future-oriented reliable relationship with South Korea.
Fukuda was elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Sept. 23 to succeed Shinzo Abe and was appointed prime minister by the parliament two days later.
Source: Xinhua
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