Tokyo wants to strengthen an international alliance against Pyongyang as tensions rise over its nuclear weapons programme
ADVERTISEMENTJapan's prime minister may have spent the past week talking trade and economic ties with Baltic and Eastern European leaders but Shinzo Abe is still greatly concerned with North Korea's nuclear ambitions as tensions continue to rise.
Although Pyongyang has moved to narrow diplomatic differences with South Korea by holding talks and agreeing to send a joint team to the Winter Olympics, Japan has warned that the world should not be fooled by Pyongyang's recent "charm offensive".
On the sidelines of Abe's six-country tour, euronews correspondent James O'Hagan spoke to Norio Maruyama, Japan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, who said Tokyo is actively seeking partners to form an international alliance. "The North Korean problem is becoming more and more worrying for us. The threat level is unprecedented and what's more their missiles can now reach Europe," said Maruyama
"We're intrested in uniting with other states which share our vision of the region and ones willing to cooperate with us against this menace."
Shinzo Abe's six-nation trip to Europe was the first of its kind for any Japanese prime minister as he seeks support at home and abroad to change the country's pacifist constitution.