G20 Brisbane 2014: Global Pragmatism or Regional Tantrums?

... relations, on the fly. It is also important that contact with Japan and Austria, which had followed up with sanctions and increasing tension, took place in a fairly friendly atmosphere. At the end of his meeting with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan declared his intention to develop “a trusting personal relationship with the Russian president”, and moreover new dates were arranged for a visit by Putin to Japan. Australia’s prime minister Tony Abbott did not make any “harsh statements”, despite the exaggerated statement by an Australian representative just beforehand about their determination to demand an “apology” from the Russian ...