12 Jan 2016 11:55

Japanese prime minister sends message to Putin

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Vice-President of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura has delivered a message from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he met with on Tuesday.

"I have brought a personal message from Prime Minister Abe for President Putin and I am asking you to deliver it to the president," Komura said at the beginning of his meeting with Lavrov.

"Prime Minister Abe has held summit-level meetings with President Putin twelve times and, in my opinion, the two leaders have a good relationship and Prime Minister Abe is considerably determined to develop Japanese-Russian relations," Komura said.

He said he intended "to strongly support the determination of Prime Minister Abe."