Japan-Russia Relations
Japan-Russia Summit Telephone Talk
August 31, 2020
On August 31, commencing at 4:00 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. ABE Shinzo, Prime Minister of Japan, held a summit telephone talk with H.E. Mr. Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich, President of the Russian Federation. The overview of the talk is as follows.
- President Putin expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Abe for being a trustworthy partner with whom he has held many constructive conversations, thanking him for his cooperation over the years. He also expressed his high regard for Prime Minister Abe's great contribution to the development of Japan-Russia relations and the elimination of obstacles between the two countries.
- In response, Prime Minister Abe expressed his thanks and explained the reasons behind his resignation. In addition, noting that he and President Putin have held 27 summit meetings and negotiated a peace treaty, he stressed the importance of resolving the territorial issue that remains unresolved, and expressed his hope that the negotiations will continue to be conducted energetically. Prime Minister Abe and President Putin affirmed that the peace treaty negotiations would continue in consideration of what has been agreed between the two leaders.
- The two leaders affirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen bilateral relations, as Japan-Russia relations have developed in a wide range of areas, including the Eight-point Cooperation Plan and the people-to-people exchanges. Prime Minister Abe also addressed the issue of grave visits by airplane to the Four Northern Islands, expressing his hope that President Putin would make efforts to ensure that these visits continue in the future.
- As concluding remarks, Prime Minister Abe said that he would continue to value his friendship with President Putin. In response, President Putin wished Prime Minister Abe the best for his retirement and said that he looked forward to meeting again sometime.