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Japan premier intends to speed up territorial dispute, peace treaty talks with Russia

Shinzo Abe intends to hold as many as possible bilateral meetings at top level this year

© ITAR-TASS/Mihail Kliment'ev

TOKYO, January 19, 7:27 /ITAR-TASS/. Japan hopes for more intensive talks with Russia over a peace treaty, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said live on central national TV channel NHK on Sunday.

“I would like to speed up talks with Russia over territorial problem and a peace treaty. We intend to use untapped potential in our relations,” Abe noted.

The Japanese prime minister intends to hold as many as possible bilateral meetings at top level this year. “I would like to have talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in atmosphere of mutual trust. If there are some problems in relations, it would be wrong not to hold a meeting between the leaders of the two countries,” Abe added.

In the previous year the Japanese prime minister and the Russian president met four times, including the first official visit of the Japanese prime minister in Russia for the last ten years. Shinzo Abe is expected to visit Russia again in February to attend an opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said earlier to Itar-Tass that this trip is at the stage of coordination.

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