Jan. 1 - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday in a New Year speech that Japan will continue working on building forward-looking relationships of trust with China and South Korea.

 

Abe expressed his resolution in 2007 to mend ties with the two neighbors when he talked about international affairs in the speech.

 

The premier also said that Japan will seek a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issues " through the six-party talks framework." He noted that he would endeavor to resolve the abduction issue.

 

The premier also vowed to continue Japan's support to the reconstruction of Iraq through providing airlift support by the Air Self-Defense Force and government development assistance.

 

On domestic affairs, Abe talked about his determination to have Japan's pacifist Constitution rewritten. 2007 is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Constitution. Abe said that he expected the Japanese people to discuss extensively about the issue.

 

House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono, in a New Year statement, spoke highly of Abe's visit to China and South Korea in October. It was "the first step" in establishing a right attitude over history and "building future-oriented partnership," he said, adding that Japan should take the opportunity to improve ties with neighboring countries and seek to construct international order based on dialogues.