U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the last day of a three-nation Asian tour focusing on North Korea.
Kerry said Monday that the two had made important advances in cyber-security, climate change and on solidarity with respect to the North Korean threat on the Korean peninsula.
The top U.S. diplomat met with the Japanese leader after telling students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology that the burden is on Pyongyang to take meaningful steps to honor commitments it has already made. He added that the North must observe laws and the norms of international behavior.
After a meeting Sunday with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Kerry told a news conference that Washington is willing to negotiate with North Korea for a peaceful resolution of tensions on the Korean peninsula if Pyongyang takes steps toward abandoning nuclear weapons.
Kerry said Pyongyang has a "clear course of action available to it" and will find a "ready partner" for negotiations in the United States. But, in separate remarks, Kerry said he will have to consult with colleagues in Washington about what specific actions they believe Pyongyang must take.
Kerry also reiterated Washington's commitment to the defense of Japan, a key U.S. ally. North Korea has made repeated threats to attack the United States and its regional allies, including Japan and South Korea.