ID :
493616
Mon, 05/28/2018 - 10:18
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Abe, Putin Agree to Speed Up Work for Joint Economic Activities

Moscow, May 26 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in Moscow on Saturday to speed up work for realizing joint economic activities on the disputed islands off Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. But the two leaders failed to achieve progress on the issue of designing a "special framework" for the joint activities in the five focused areas that will not undermine the legal positions of Japan and Russia over the Russian-held four northwestern Pacific islands, called Northern Territories in Japan, sources with access to the meeting said. During the summit, which lasted nearly three hours, Abe and Putin gave the nod to a plan to send a private-sector survey mission on the joint activities in July or August. Before the talks, Tokyo hoped that Moscow would ink the joint activity deals of launching sea urchin farming and strawberry production. But no announcements were made on the projects after the summit. On regional issues, Abe and Putin reaffirmed the two nations' close cooperation in denuclearizing North Korea, and vowed to help the United States and North Korea successfully hold their first summit, according to the sources. When Abe reiterated his stance of pursuing a comprehensive resolution to the North Korean missile, nuclear and abduction issues in line with the 2002 Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration and called for Russian support, Putin showed his understanding. At a joint press conference after the meeting, Abe said he and Putin renewed their respective determination to move steadily toward conclusion of a bilateral peace treaty. The isle problem has been preventing Japan and Russia from officially ending their World War II hostilities. Putin underscored the importance of persistent efforts for finding a resolution acceptable for both countries. Speaking about the North Korean nuclear issue, Abe stressed that Japan and Russia share the stance of seeking progress in the denuclearization, while Putin called for diplomatic efforts by Washington and Pyongyang, saying all countries involved should exercise self-restraint. Abe said he is looking forward to meeting Putin, again, in Vladivostok in September, expressing his willingness to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian Far East city. At the summit, the 21st of its kind between the two and the first since Putin's reelection in March, the leaders agreed to have former residents of the four islands visit graves there by plane in July as they did last year and to hold a meeting of foreign and defense ministers of the two countries in the latter half of the year. On the sidelines of the Abe-Putin talks, the Japanese and Russian governments exchanged 11 consensus documents including a joint statement on specific ways to implement an eight-point bilateral economic cooperation plan. END

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