Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held the sixth meeting of the Headquarters on the Abduction Issue at the Prime Minister's Office.

Discussion took place on the situation in North Korea, policies going forward, and other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "On December 19, in response to the death of Chairman Kim Jong-Il of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, I issued three instructions.
Family members of abductees are expecting that the transition to a new regime might be an opportunity to resume negotiations, but at the same time are concerned about the safety of abductees in the event of chaos.
When I visited China a few days ago, I requested Premier Wen Jiabao once again for China's understanding and cooperation toward the resolution of the abduction issue. In particular, since Japan has no diplomatic office in North Korea, I asked for China's cooperation with regard to ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals there, including abductees.
Today, I would like to discuss various policies, namely, how we should assess the future prospects of the North Korean situation and what actions we should take, including the structural reinforcement of this Headquarters. I ask for further efforts from relevant ministers."