Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Tokyo … News Time
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed hope that his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin will lead to progress in peace treaty talks and resolving the issue of 4 Russian-held islands. Abe told governing coalition officials in Tokyo on Monday that he will meet Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum that will be held next week in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. Abe said he wants to have candid talks with Putin on such matters as joint economic activities on the 4 islands and humanitarian measures for former Japanese islanders. Russia controls the 4 islands. Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan’s territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War II. Abe said he wants to discuss the details of the 8-point bilateral economic cooperation plan along with urgent international issues such as North Korea. The prime minister also disclosed that arrangements are underway for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will also attend the forum.
