The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott agreed yesterday to enhance cooperation over UN sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Abe told reporters after meeting with Prescott that Japan will strengthen cooperation with Britain, trying to change Pyongyang's "attitude of threatening the region and the world with (its) nuclear test."

Prescott said that London will take necessary measures to support the implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution on sanctions against the DPRK.

Abe also said that as Britain is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, and it has diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, he expected London and Tokyo to work together to solve the DPRK nuclear test issue.

Following the DPRK's announcement on Oct. 9 that it had conducted a successful nuclear test, the U.N. Security Council on Oct. 14 unanimously adopted Resolution 1718, which condemned the nuclear test. The resolution requires the DPRK to abandon its nuclear weapons program, asking it to return to the six-party talks immediately, and imposing sanctions in spheres related to its nuclear, ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.