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On February 20, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence.
 
With respect to the summit telephone talk with the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, the Prime Minister said,
 
“I held a summit talk with President Trump over the phone. In the lead-up to the second U.S.-North Korea Summit Meeting scheduled for next week, Japan and the United States thoroughly and closely aligned our policies.
 
We agreed that Japan and the U.S. would act in even closer cooperation at every level toward the resolution of the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue. In particular, President Trump and I spent a considerable amount of time speaking in-depth with about the abductions issue.
 
Yesterday, I met with some of the abductees family members and listened to their heartfelt wishes. When I spoke with President Trump just now, I requested his cooperation on this matter, including by conveying the family members’ feelings of how eagerly they wish to reunite with the abductees and how earnestly they hope for their return to Japan. President Trump listened to me and clearly stated that he understood very well how much importance I place on the abductions issue and, in light of that, he himself would also place importance on the abductions issue.. He gave me his word that he would cooperate towards resolving this issue, just as he did for the previous summit meeting.
 
He also confirmed that he would give me a report on the summit meeting and other matters by telephone after the summit meeting finishes.
I hope very strongly that this meeting will precipitate the resolution of  the nuclear weapons and missiles issue, as well as the abductions issue, which is important, leading to peace and stability in East Asia. To that end, I intend for Japan and the U.S. to act in close cooperation to an even greater extent.”
 
“I refrain from making comments on maters other than that at this point.”