「北朝鮮、課題解決の準備なし」　早期の日朝首脳会談に慎重―山田駐米大使

　【ワシントン時事】山田重夫駐米大使は８日、ワシントンで開かれた米シンクタンク戦略国際問題研究所（ＣＳＩＳ）主催のイベントに出席した。聴衆から日朝首脳会談について問われたのに対し、「最近の北朝鮮の声明は、彼らが未解決の問題に取り組む準備ができていないことを示唆している」と述べ、早期実現に慎重な姿勢を示した。
　北朝鮮は先月、金与正朝鮮労働党副部長や崔善姫外相が日本との「交渉拒否」を宣言した。山田氏は、拉致問題や核・ミサイル問題の解決が「岸田文雄首相にとって極めて重要だ」と述べ、「北朝鮮が歩み寄るなら首相には対話の用意がある」と強調した。（2024/04/09-10:13）

A summit between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is unlikely to take place anytime soon, given recent statements from Pyongyang, Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada said Monday.
   "So far, the recent statements from North Korea indicated that they are not ready to deal with those outstanding issues of concern" with Japan, Yamada said at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington.
   Resolving Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals and its nuclear and missile development is "very important" for Kishida, Yamada said.
   "If North Korea is forthcoming, the prime minister is ready to have a dialogue," he added.
   Last month, Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the North Korean leader, and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui expressed frustration at Kishida's push to resolve the abduction issue and rejected any contact with Japan.