Kremlin says Putin expects to continue dialogue with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

Russian President Vladimir Putin expects to continue his dialogue on bilateral, regional and global issues with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Kremlin press service said, citing Putin’s congratulatory message to Abe on his re-election as leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party.

"The election results demonstrate your high political authority and a recognition of your ability to resolve national goals," the message reads. "Our recent meeting in Vladivostok was very constructive and useful. And, of course, we will continue our dialogue and joint work on urgent bilateral, regional and global issues," Putin added.

The Russian president and the Japanese prime minister last met on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum held in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on September 11-13. They both participated in the forum’s plenary meeting, during which Putin suggested that Moscow and Tokyo sign a peace treaty before the end of the year without any preconditions. However, Abe did not respond to Putin’s initiative at the time.

A source in the Japanese Foreign Ministry told TASS later that Tokyo was determined to hold peace treaty talks with Moscow once the territorial dispute was resolved, and that position would not change.
South Kuril Island issue

Since the mid-20th century, Russia and Japan have been holding consultations in order to clinch a peace treaty as a follow-up to World War II. The Kuril Islands issue remains the sticking point since after WWII the islands were handed over to the Soviet Union while Japan laid claims to the four southern islands. In 1956, the two countries signed a common declaration on ending the state of war and restoring diplomatic and all other relations, however, a peace treaty has still not been reached. Moscow has stated many times that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands cannot be called into question.