Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Abe turns toward Russia amid souring ties in Asia
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2984763Abe turns toward Russia amid souring ties in Asia
Feb 11,2014
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe headed to Sochi over the weekend to attend the opening of the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he got chummy with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid souring relations with Seoul and Beijing, his closest Asian neighbors.
The two leaders met on Saturday at the Presidential Palace in Sochi, where they discussed moving up talks on a bilateral territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands, which have been under Russian jurisdiction since World War II.
Abe said at a press conference afterward that they are expecting to hold a bilateral summit meeting in Tokyo in the fall, which would be the first time a Russian president has visited Japan in four years. The two also plan to meet before then at a Group of Eight industrial powers summit this summer in Sochi.
Abe also said that Russia and China must finish the peace treaty, which was not realized after World War II because of the dispute over the four islands, which are located off the coast of Japan near Hokkaido.