Inister Shinzo Abe sees making Russian ordinary people understand the benefits of cooperation with Japan as the key task in bilateral relations, Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi, special adviser to Abe's cabinet and a professor at the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and MOSCOW anagement, told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) Inister Shinzo Abe sees making Russian ordinary people understand the benefits of cooperation with Japan as the key task in bilateral relations, Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi, special adviser to Abe's cabinet and a professor at the Keio University Graduate school of System Design and MOSCOW anagement, told Sputnik.
Earlier in the day, Abe was reelected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for the third term, therefore retaining his position as the country's prime minister. This makes Abe likely to become the nation's longest-serving premier in the modern history. During a press conference after the vote, Abe told reporters that he was planning to hold meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the upcoming international forums this year.
According to the adviser, during the next three-year term Abe will use his "reinforced political resources" to work on bilateral relations with Russia, even though Japan insists on solving the territorial dispute before signing a peace treaty.
"However, the method that prime minister Abe has chosen is taking efforts to spread the understanding among Russian ordinary people that sticking to Japan will bring only good things. If you cooperate with Japan, life expectancy will grow. If you collaborate with Japan, cities will become more beautiful, efficiency of small and medium-sized [enterprises] will increase. If he manages to prove it, president Putin may also be able to tell Russian citizens that 'working with Abe is good.' It is the most important task for prime minister Abe," Taniguchi said.
The adviser highlighted that this, among other challenges faced by the Japanese cabinet, required a strong leader.
"Japan now has the strongest leadership in the modern history ... President Putin has always found Mr. Abe a worthy opponent. Now - even more," Taniguchi noted.
Russia and Japan have never signed a peace treaty since the end of the World War II, as both countries lay claims for a group of four islands � Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai, which has long been a stumbling block in the bilateral relations. Tokyo and Moscow are currently engaged in consultations on carrying out joint economic activities on the disputed islands.
Last week, Putin proposed at the Eastern Economic Forum to sign a peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo without any preconditions before the end of 2018. On Friday, Abe confirmed that the Japanese government would keep maintaining its position that the peace treaty with Russia could be concluded only after the settlement of the long-time Kuril Islands territorial dispute, following criticism that he faced in Japan over not having opposed Putin's suggestion.
