Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi plans to visit Mongolia next week to seek cooperation in resolving the issue of North Korea’s abductions of Japanese nationals. Mr Motegi is expected to meet with Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh and Foreign Minister N.Enkhtaivan during the visit.

Mongolia has close ties with North Korea and Japan has often looked to Mongolia to act as a mediator.

Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s new prime minister, has said he will make every effort to resolve the abduction issue and is ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without any preconditions, a position inherited from his predecessor Shinzo Abe.

Mr Motegi is also expected to discuss ways to ease travel restrictions between Japan and Mongolia that have been imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

It will be the first trip to Mongolia by a Japanese foreign minister since Taro Kono visited the country in June last year.