Tokyo Views Personal Meeting Of Russian, Japanese Leaders As Important - Government

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2020) Japan believes that it is important to hold a personal meeting between the country's prime minister, Yoshihide Suga and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters on Wednesday.

"Nothing has yet been decided regarding the next personal summit of the leaders of Japan and Russia. But we consider it very important to hold a personal meeting of the heads of state with a long and unhasting exchange of views in order to create trust relations between the two leaders. As for further visits of the leaders of the two countries, the decision will be made in a complex, proceeding from the situation with coronavirus and the international situation," Kato said.

Suga, who was appointed as Japanese prime minister in September, has repeatedly said that he was committed to the same policies on Russia that were pursued by his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, who had tried to resolve the bilateral territorial dispute and maintain good and fruitful cooperation.

Japanese upper house lawmaker Muneo Suzuki told Sputnik in November after a meeting with the prime minister that Suga hoped to meet with Putin as soon as possible.

On September 29, Putin held the first phone talks with the Japanese prime minister after the latter's appointment. The two leaders reaffirmed a commitment to the continued development of all aspects of bilateral cooperation in the interest of both countries and the Asia-Pacific region in general.