Post by thirdterm on Oct 8, 2014 0:36:41 GMT
MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing in November, a Japanese Foreign Ministry representative said Tuesday.
The Japanese and Russian leaders have agreed to hold a meeting on the sidelines of APEC during a phone conversation, said Noriaki Ikeda, a representative of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reported by Reuters. In September, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov also said that Putin may meet with Abe on the sidelines of the upcoming APEC summit.
President Putin is scheduled to visit Japan this fall, but the specific dates have not been set.
Since Abe entered office in 2012, he has held multiple summits with Putin aiming to improve economic relations and to resolve the Kuril Islands dispute. However, with the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine, Japan, along with the United States, the European Union and other members of the Group of Seven industrialized nations introduced sanctions against Russia over its involvement.
The Japanese sanctions are the softest of the G7 nations as Tokyo is seen as unwilling to ruin relations with Russia. en.ria.ru/world/20141007/193780072/Japanese-Prime-Minister-Abe-to-Meet-Russias-Putin-on-APEC.html
A recent opinion poll conducted in Russia showed that 48% of Russians were interested in Japan and more than one in three (38%) had confidence in Japan. Russia's popularity is also on the rise in Japan after the Sochi Olympics and the issue surrounding the Northern Territories is rather irrelevant for ordinary Japanese citizens. There is still considerable hostility towards China and Korea held by the Japanese public as more than 80% of them dislike these countries but Russia is no longer considered as a strategic threat. It's not in the national interest of Japan to antagonise Russia unnecessarily despite the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Russia is the third largest oil producer in the world and Japan is increasingly reliant on Russia for the supplies of oil and natural gas, which is why the Japanese government has ruled out further economic sanctions on Moscow out of step with the US and other G7 nations.
Abe is bending over backwards to please Washington and Japan imposed nominal economic sanctions on Russia that are much lighter than its G7 partners as a result. Abe was educated in the US and his strategic thinking is heavily influenced by what he was taught at an American college, which he eventually dropped out of due to insufficient grades or credits. Many experts and journalists in Japan are now questioning the current policy to get tough on Russia in the light of concerns over Japan's energy security. Abe said last week he intended to intensify dialogue with Russia and build bilateral relations based on the national interests and he is coming to his senses by listening to these experts. Japan should not object to the Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine that has nothing to do with the country's core national interests and the issue should be resolved diplomatically between the EU and Russia.
The Japanese and Russian leaders have agreed to hold a meeting on the sidelines of APEC during a phone conversation, said Noriaki Ikeda, a representative of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reported by Reuters. In September, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov also said that Putin may meet with Abe on the sidelines of the upcoming APEC summit.
President Putin is scheduled to visit Japan this fall, but the specific dates have not been set.
Since Abe entered office in 2012, he has held multiple summits with Putin aiming to improve economic relations and to resolve the Kuril Islands dispute. However, with the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine, Japan, along with the United States, the European Union and other members of the Group of Seven industrialized nations introduced sanctions against Russia over its involvement.
The Japanese sanctions are the softest of the G7 nations as Tokyo is seen as unwilling to ruin relations with Russia. en.ria.ru/world/20141007/193780072/Japanese-Prime-Minister-Abe-to-Meet-Russias-Putin-on-APEC.html
A recent opinion poll conducted in Russia showed that 48% of Russians were interested in Japan and more than one in three (38%) had confidence in Japan. Russia's popularity is also on the rise in Japan after the Sochi Olympics and the issue surrounding the Northern Territories is rather irrelevant for ordinary Japanese citizens. There is still considerable hostility towards China and Korea held by the Japanese public as more than 80% of them dislike these countries but Russia is no longer considered as a strategic threat. It's not in the national interest of Japan to antagonise Russia unnecessarily despite the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Russia is the third largest oil producer in the world and Japan is increasingly reliant on Russia for the supplies of oil and natural gas, which is why the Japanese government has ruled out further economic sanctions on Moscow out of step with the US and other G7 nations.
Abe is bending over backwards to please Washington and Japan imposed nominal economic sanctions on Russia that are much lighter than its G7 partners as a result. Abe was educated in the US and his strategic thinking is heavily influenced by what he was taught at an American college, which he eventually dropped out of due to insufficient grades or credits. Many experts and journalists in Japan are now questioning the current policy to get tough on Russia in the light of concerns over Japan's energy security. Abe said last week he intended to intensify dialogue with Russia and build bilateral relations based on the national interests and he is coming to his senses by listening to these experts. Japan should not object to the Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine that has nothing to do with the country's core national interests and the issue should be resolved diplomatically between the EU and Russia.