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Putin calls for active dialogue with Japan

Vladimir Putin said he hopes an active dialogue with Japan will help resolve decades-old problems

HAMBURG, July 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he hopes an active dialogue with Japan will help resolve decades-old problems and will give a fresh impetus to the development of bilateral ties.

"I am very glad that we are having such active dialogue. Apparently, it will help promote development of bilateral relations and, I hope, will make it possible for us to resolve decades-old problems," Putin said at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Russian leader noted that their next meeting would soon take place in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok. "As we have agreed, a delegation of businessmen visited the Kuril Island not long ago. We will follow our agreements," Putin said, adding he was glad at an opportunity to meet with Abe on the sidelines of the Group of Twnety summit.

Peace treaty

Japan is ready to develop cooperation with Russia on the Kuril Islands to build up trust between Moscow and Tokyo with an ultimate goal of signing a peace treaty,  Abe said.

"To sign a peace treaty, it is necessary to build up trust between the two countries. In this context, we are ready to develop cooperation in the format of joint activities on the islands and more free visits to burial grounds and the native land by former residents of the islands," he said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty summit in Germany’s Hamburg.

This way, according to the Japanese prime minister, his country wants to build up trust between the countries. "Our delegation’s recent visit to the islands on matters of joint economic activity was a major step," he said, adding that since the latest meeting with Putin relations between Japan and Russia had been developing dynamically in various spheres and today’s meeting was to give yet another impetus to such development.

Shinzo Abe has hailed the Russia-US summit-level dialogue and said he took with understanding his having to wait for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin whose talks with the US leader turned out to be longer than expected.

"Actually, although I had to wait for today’s meeting, but, on the other hand, I have said more than once that settlement of such issues as Ukraine, Syria, North Korea and other global problems requires a meeting between the leaders of Russia and the United States," Abe said at a meeting with Putin on Friday.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Russian leader apologized to Abe on his behalf and on behalf of US President Donald Trump for keeping him waiting that long.

He said he was glad that the Russian and US leader had had an opportunity to meet personally in Hamburg. "And I am glad that during your meeting, I think, you had a constructive dialogue," the Japanese prime minister noted.