Putin, Abe to discuss Russia-Japan peace treaty in Moscow on Jan 22
MOSCOW. Jan 14 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will pay a working visit to Russia at Putin's invitation, will meet in Moscow on January 22, the Kremlin press service said.
"It is planned to discuss the current state and prospects of boosting bilateral cooperation in the political, trade and economic, and humanitarian areas. The interlocutors are expected to consider issues related to the conclusion of a peace treaty between the two countries in order to expand agreements reached at the previous meetings in Singapore and Buenos Aires," the press service said in a statement.
"It is also planned to exchange opinions on certain pressing problems from the international and regional agenda," it said.
The meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for the evening on January 22 in Moscow, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Takeshi Osuga said.
"The agreement was reached to hold talks between the two countries' leaders [Shinzo Abe and Vladimir Putin] on the evening of January 22 in Moscow," Osuga said at a press briefing at the Japanese embassy on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono that the next Russian-Japanese summit is expected this month, and the two leaders will be briefed on the progress made toward the conclusion of a peace treaty.
"We agreed that our deputies - as was envisaged by our leaders when they agreed to intensify work on the peace treaty on basis of the 1956 Declaration - will continue concrete communication, clarifying their positions with one another," Lavrov said.
"Before the next summit between President [Vladimir] Putin and Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe, which is expected this month, we will report on how their instructions are being implemented," he said.