TOKYO, July 11. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin told TASS on Monday he hopes there will be political forces in Japan who will continue Japanese slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy toward Russia.
"Indeed, he had strategic and far-sighted vision. He was a patriot and as a patriot he understood that it is in the long-term interests of his country to build close, good-neighborly, partner relations with our country," he said after attending the commemoration ceremony.
He recalled that 27 Abe’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on the development of such relations. "These meetings yielded breakthrough results in our relations, which have become really close and good-neighborly," he said, citing as an example projects in the areas of gas and LNG production, the establishment of a trust-based high-level dialogue on the policy of security, and the organization of the cross years and the year of interregional exchanges, which have helped the peoples of the two countries to learn more about each other’s history and culture.
"This man’s, Mr. Shinzo Abe’s, contribution to the Russian-Japanese relations is very big," the Russian diplomat stressed, adding that he hopes that "there will be forces in Japan’s government, political and public circles that will continue and develop this policy."
The Russian side, in his words, "is always open for such pragmatic, good-neighborly, mutually beneficial cooperation."
The wake was held in Tokyo’s Zojoji Temple. A private funeral is scheduled for July 12.
Abe, 67, was attacked on July 8 when he was delivering a campaign speech in the city of Nara ahead of the elections to the upper house of Japan’s parliament. Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 41-year-old, made two shots at the former prime minister from an improvised gun. Abe was rushed to hospital by a helicopter. He received a blood transfusion. Doctors had been fighting for his life for several hours, but were unable to save him.