The government is making final arrangements to extend by two years its trade embargo and other unilateral sanctions against North Korea that are set to expire in April, sources familiar with bilateral relations said Wednesday.
The extension is seen as Japan's latest attempt to break an impasse over stalled bilateral talks on Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, Kyodo said.
The Cabinet is expected to approve a two-year extension after securing support by the end of March from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition ally Komeito party, the sources said.
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