VLADIVOSTOK, September 3. /TASS/. Russia and Japan look at the territorial dispute between the two countries through the prism of their national interests, but this problem should be solved, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum 2016 (EEF 2016).
"Shinzo Abe, with whom we have a good and trust-based relationship, said, that we have our vision, and the Japanese side has its vision and each of us is looking at this problem through the prism of their national interests," Putin said. "But we all have one thing in common - the problem needs to be solved," he added.
"Our past should not prevent us from going forward. Of course, we have to think about how to get rid of problems that do not allow going as fast as we would like. I hope that we will solve these problems," Putin said.
The President gave a few examples of projects that are interesting or could potentially be appealing for Japan. In particular, he mentioned the production of Japanese automobile engines in Vladivostok:
"The Japanese company would not do that at the expense of its interests." According to Putin, scientists from and students from Japan also come to Russia’s Far East.