... The meeting of the two countries’ leaders did not result in any breakthrough agreements or a large package of signed documents, but it showcased the two countries’ focus on expanding cooperation and their readiness to work steadily in that area. Shinzo Abe and Vladimir Putin’s next meeting, slated for the autumn of 2018, will be an important indicator of the parties’ success in launching implementation of their agreements on joint economic activities on the southern Kuril Islands.
1
. There are
well-founded doubts
that resolving this issue, without adequate economic conditions, would in itself create grounds for breakthrough expansion of economic cooperation.
2
. Japan insists on establishing a special legal regime ...
On December 15–16, Vladimir Putin visited Japan. The meetings with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held in Nagato (Yamaguchi Prefecture) and Tokyo resulted in several important agreements, indicating the progress in ... ... commitment to peace treaty signing. The route to achieve this goal was chosen too: to conduct joint economic activity in the Kuril Islands, which would create conditions to solve the peace treaty problem. It was decided to immediately start consultations ...
... successor Naoto Kan even recalled Japan’s ambassador from Russia in response to President Dmitry Medvedev’s trip to the Kuril Islands. However, the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident unwittingly brought relations out of the dead end, as Japan ... ... interpretations by domestic experts on Russian politics. However, in 2013 the government in Tokyo changed again and the LDPJ led by Shinzo Abe returned to power.
Right off the bat
The pause taken by Tokyo towards the Kremlin over the Ukrainian crisis is due ...