Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, together with Mr. Hirofumi Hirano, Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Mr. Hiroshi Nakai, Minister of State for the Abduction Issue, met with family members of abductees at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Hatoyama conveyed to the family members that he sought cooperation among the leaders of each nation when he visited the United States immediately after he assumed the office of Prime Minister. The Prime Minister said, "Needless to say, an issue of this kind can only be resolved through the government's proactive efforts. By all means, we, the members of the new administration, want to demonstrate our strong will to address this issue proactively. Your various opinions are much appreciated in that endeavor."

In response, Mr. Shigeo Iizuka, Representative of the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (AFVKN), said, "We can see Prime Minister Hatoyama's strong determination to unfailingly resolve the issue with unprecedented efforts. We hope that the issue will be completely resolved if possible under Prime Minister Hatoyama, and that the name of the Prime Minister will be remembered in history. We came here today to ask for your support toward the resolution of this issue, along with various other issues."