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Leader of Japan’s new ruling party wants to settle territorial dispute with Russia

Shinzo Abe hopes to settle the problem of Southern Kuril Islands
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

TOKYO, December 16 (Itar-Tass) — The leader of Japan’s new ruling Liberal Democratic Party which scored a convincing victory in Sunday’s general election in Japan hopes to settle the problem of Southern Kuril Islands with Russia.

Shinzo Abe, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, told a news conference on Sunday that he wished to settle the territorial dispute with Russia and sign a peace treaty. He expressed the hope for improvement of Russian-Japanese bilateral relations and said he was ready for dialogue with Russian leaders.

The Liberal Democratic Party is expected to gain 289 seats in the 480-seat lower house of the Japanese parliament and a comfortable parliamentary majority.

The new parliament is to elect Shinzo Abe the new Japanese prime minister at its first meeting on December 26.