Japan Premier says partnership with Russia ‘very important’

ASTANA, October 27. /TASS/. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev touched upon the issue of partnership with Russia during a meeting in Astana, Yasuhisa Kawamura, Japan's Foreign Ministry special representative, told reporters on Tuesday. During the talks with his Kazakhstani counterpart, Shinzo Abe noted that Japan attaches great importance to the stepping up of partnership with Russia due to the changing strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific region, the Japanese diplomat said. "The prime minister thinks that the strengthening of Russian-Japanese relations will help not only to suffice the two countries’ interests but also to make some contribution to the neighboring regions," Kawamura said. While staying in Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek on Monday, he said that Moscow and Tokyo consider a possible visit of the Russian president to Japan before the yearend. Read more