On a visit to Germany, Koizumi described the abductions as "unforgiveable and inhumane" and warned Pyongyang that "a return (of the Japanese) would be much better for North Korea".

He said that although the six-party August 27-29 talks in Beijing would focus on resolving the 10-month crisis over North Korea's nuclear programme, the abductions were "equally important" to Japan.

"If necessary, we will have to continue these talks on the abduction issue bilaterally with North Korea," he added.

North Korea has admitted that its agents kidnapped several citizens from Japan decades ago. Although some of the surviving abductees have been allowed to visit Japan, their relatives still in North Korea have not been allowed to leave.

Japan has said the issue must be fully resolved before any discussion of normalisation of ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang can begin.

Koizumi raised the abduction issue at a press conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, following talks in Berlin at the official start of the Japanese premier's week-long visit to Europe.

Schroeder said Germany understood and supported Tokyo's position, both on how to resolve the nuclear crisis and on the abductions.

The Beijing talks -- which are to involve North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- are expected to urge North Korea to commit to ending its fledgling nuclear weapons programme, ostensibly in exchange for guarantees for the security of the Stalinist regime.

WAR.WIRE