The Japanese government said today it would lift sanctions on North Korea in return for renewed investigations into a longstanding kidnapping issue.

Pyongyang is known to have kidnapped Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s.

Japan lists at least 17 people as abducted by the North, but some estimates say as many as 800 are still missing.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in a press conference that the two countries are takings steps to solve outstanding cases.

He says North Korea is forming a new committee to investigate the kidnappings.

The 30-member panel will be led by high-level government officials, including the vice-minister of state security.

Abe says he believes the panel will make progress in the kidnapping cases.

In return, Japan will lift some sanctions in place against Pyongyang, including those on general travel, remittances, and North Korean vessels entering Japanese ports for humanitarian purposes.

North Korea has investigated the kidnappings before, but Japan contested the findings.

Abe says these developments are a first step and that he will continue working until the kidnapping issue is fully resolved.