Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is now in Moscow where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is the first visit by a Japanese Prime Minister to Russia in a decade.
Abe arrived together with a Japanese business delegation, which is expected to put economic cooperation high on the agenda. Japan and Russia are expected to clinch up to 20 deals, including the launch of an investment fund.
Japan also expects Russia to present a proposal for its participation in building a pipeline connecting East Siberian gas fields and a planned $38 billion gas hub in Vladivostok. Another major issue to be discussed will be the two nations’ territorial dispute, and ways to solve it.
The dispute over four sparsely populated islands in the Pacific, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, has prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty ending World War Two. The issue has overshadowed relations for more than 60 years.
After Moscow, Abe will visit Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.