The ministry says Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Deputy Director-General Fumio Shimizu conversed with the chief of the North's Disarmament and Peace Institute. They met on the sidelines of an international conference on security issues in Northeast Asia.

The ministry says Shimizu conveyed to the North Korean side Japan's basic stance that Pyongyang must return all Japanese nationals abducted by its agents.

Shimizu is also believed to have told the North Korean side that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is willing to resolve the abduction issue through direct talks with North Korea.

A similar brief conversation between officials of the 2 countries took place at last year's session of the security conference. At that time, the Japanese side demanded that the North abandon its nuclear and missile programs and allow the abductees to return home.