Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on the sidelines of G20 summit (Photo: EPA/VNA)

At a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a meeting on the sidelines of the 3^rd Eastern Economic Forum (EFF-3) in Vladivostok on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the threat from North Korea is a serious problem to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to the non-proliferation mechanism. He said North Korea will have “no bright future” if it continues on its current path and called for a change in its policies.

The two leaders strongly condemned North Korea’s missile test over Japanese territory last month. Mr. Putin said tensions on the Korean Peninsula will only be resolved by political means, calling the current conflict a threat to regional peace and stability. Mr. Abe affirmed his eagerness for a peace deal between Japan and Russia.