MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Russia and Japan are moving forward in developing bilateral relations and the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may help to work out new steps, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"There is a step forward (in developing bilateral relations)," Putin said opening a meeting with the Japanese premier. "I hope that this visit by such an extraordinary Japanese delegation will be fruitful and we will map out the next steps on joint work."

At the beginning of the meeting, Putin recalled a warm reception, which he had during his visit to Japan in December 2016. "Japan is our good neighbor and a very promising partner," Putin stressed. "At the last meeting during the talks we agreed on enhancing relations, contacts and our joint work. We can already make a summary," he said.

Abe said at the beginning of the meeting that he planned to discuss the peace treaty issue.

"Today, I would like to discuss various matters, including bilateral issues and the peace treaty issue in particular, as well as ways to ensure security and the situation in the region," Abe said.

At the beginning of the meeting, Abe condemned the recent terrorist attack on the St. Petersburg metro and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims. "The Japanese people stand together with Russians," he said.