MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during a debate with the leaders of other political parties on Sunday that his decision to call a snap parliamentary election later in October should provide him a public mandate to increase pressure on North Korea ahead of a series of meetings with world leaders later this year.
The lower house of the country's parliament has been dissolved on September 28, as Abe announced a snap election scheduled for October 22.
"I’d like to win a public mandate for my current policy regarding North Korea — which is to thoroughly pressure the regime — as well as my strong diplomatic skills before these meetings take place," Abe said during the nationally televised debate, as quoted by the Japan Times newspaper.
On September 21, the White House said that Abe favored increasing pressure on Pyongyang and introduction of strict sanctions, saying that continued dialogue with North Korea would not provide a solution to countering the threat posed by the country.
