PRESS RELEASE

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Abe To Go to Russia—To Achieve Peace Treaty Through Cooperation

Jan. 8, 2017 (EIRNS)—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit Russia in early 2017, TASS reported today. Speaking in his home province of Yamaguchi, where on Dec. 15 he met with President Vladimir Putin, Abe said:

"Having the firm intention to settle [the problem of belonging of the southern Kuril Islands and of signing a peace treaty] within this generation, we hope [to apply] every effort for negotiations,"

according to Kyodo. "For that, early this year I want to visit Russia."

On NHK TV today, Abe said that the joint economic activities in the southern Kuril Islands may be "a big advantage on the way towards a peace treaty," and that without relations of mutual trust settling the problem would not be possible.