Putin, Abe hold talks as Russian leader's Japan visit threatened by Ukraine row
Leaders agree to continue dialogue as Ukraine crisis throws doubt on planned autumn meeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe held telephone talks on Sunday amid speculation about whether a visit by Putin would go ahead due to frictions over Ukraine.
Local media reports say Putin’s visit to Japan planned for this autumn is now uncertain following Tokyo’s sanctions on Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine.
“The leaders discussed the bilateral relationship between Japan and Russia, and the situation in Ukraine” in the telephone conversation proposed by the Russian side, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It is our national interest to conclude a peace treaty between Japan and Russia. In that sense, leaders’ talks are indispensable
“Both leaders agreed to continue dialogue” on the issues, it said, adding Putin congratulated Abe on his 60th birthday on Sunday. Putin has met Abe five times since the Japanese leader took office in December 2012.
Abe expressed his readiness to talk directly with Putin during an annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit to be held in November in Beijing, according to a by public broadcaster NHK.
“It is our national interest to conclude a peace treaty between Japan and Russia. In that sense, leaders’ talks are indispensable,” Abe said during the recording of an NHK programme the same day.
The Japanese government has never confirmed the timing of Putin’s visit. A foreign ministry official in charge of Russian affairs declined to give further details of the two leaders’ talks.