Abe hopes for progress in peace treaty talks with Russia

October 2, 2017

KYOTO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his hopes on Sunday to make progress in World War II peace treaty talks with Russia.

He said he hopes to promote discussions in a wide range of fields including the peace treaty issue during a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November.

Abe made the remarks during a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich in the western Japan city of Kyoto.

Japan and Russia have yet to conclude a peace treaty that will formally end their WWII hostilities due to a territorial dispute over four northwestern Pacific islands held by Moscow and claimed by Tokyo.

The prime minister told Dvorkovich that when he and Putin last met in September, they made progress in talks on bilateral economic cooperation. Jiji Press