TOKYO, July 10. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin trusts Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and wants to solve the problem of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan together with him, former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori told reporters on Sunday following meeting with the Russian leader.

"He considers Abe a serious, sincere person and trusts him. [President Putin’s] desire to solve the peace treaty problem together with [Prime Minister Abe] is getting stronger," the Kyodo news agency quotes him as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in Yekaterinburg on Sunday evening.

Mori became Japan’s Prime Minister in 2000. During his term of office, he took a stand in favor of developing ties with Russia. In 2000-2001 he met with Putin six times. Their last meeting in those years was held in Irkutsk in March 2001 and ended with the signing of a statement on continuing negotiations on a peace treaty.

Although Mori retired in 2001, he plays an active role in Japan’s political life. In particular, until 2007 he was a co-chairman of the Russian-Japanese Council of Wise Men.