LDP bigwig Nikai to visit Russia, Turkey from April 26

March 31, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese ruling party heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai is set to visit Russia and Turkey in that order from April 26 to May 4.

Nikai, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, will meet with senior officials of United Russia, the ruling party of Russia, aiming to realize the launch of regular exchange programs between lawmakers of the two parties, he told reporters at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Friday.

Nikai is hoping to help the Japanese government achieve progress in the two nations' decades-old territorial row over four Russian-controlled northwestern Pacific islands, which were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II.

The island row has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities.

On April 27, Nikai will attend a meeting of a Japan-Russia forum for discussions on bilateral relations. An economic and tourism exchange delegation comprising more than 200 people will visit Russia with Nikai.

"Further boosting exchanges between Japan and Russia will help deepen interchanges between the two countries' private sectors and develop the bilateral relationship," Nikai said.

During his travel to Turkey from April 29, Nikai, who serves as head of a group of lawmakers for promoting the Japan-Turkey friendship, will hold talks with Turkish government officials on bilateral cooperation for disaster reduction. He will also visit facilities related to disaster prevention. Jiji Press