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Speaking to reporters on the U.S. decision to remove North Korean from its list of terrorism sponsors, Aso said it will not mean a loss of leverage for Japan in settling the long-standing abduction issue with the communist country, Kyodo news service reported.

Aso said he believes the U.S. decision was a diplomatic tactic to continue the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament process, which is currently stalled over the issue of verification. Other members in the six-party talks are Japan, South Korea, China and Russia.

The report said North Korea is yet to act on its promise to launch a committee to reinvestigate the abductions.

Japan had earlier urged the United States not to remove North Korea from its terrorism list until there is progress on the abduction issue.

Japan asserts North Korea abducted at least 17 of its nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. North Korea says 13 were abducted and of those five were returned to Japan in 2002 and the other eight had died.

Last August, Japan promised to lift some of its sanctions after North Korea reopened its investigation.

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