Japanese Prime Minister leaves for Europe and Russia
According to Kyodo news agency, on May 1, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left for a week-long trip to European countries and Russia to lay the groundwork for the Group of Seven (G7) summit that Japan will host later this month, as well as resolve a decades-long territorial dispute with Moscow.
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| Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Source: EPA/VNA) |
Japanese government officials said Mr. Abe will visit Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Britain before going to Russia.
According to the plan, the Japanese Prime Minister will discuss with European leaders how to boost the world economy in the context of China's slowing economy. Speaking to reporters at Haneda Airport (Tokyo) before leaving, Mr. Abe expressed his hope to have frank discussions with the leaders of the countries.
In Belgium, Mr. Abe will hold talks with European Union (EU) leaders, including European Council President Donald Tusk, to exchange views on advancing negotiations on an EU-Japan economic partnership agreement.
The G7 summit will take place from May 26-27 in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, with the participation of leaders from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the US and Japan.
On his way back from Europe, Mr. Abe will visit Russia and hold talks with President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on issues including the sovereignty dispute over four islands currently controlled by Russia and called the Southern Kurils while Japan also claims sovereignty and calls them the Northern Territories off the coast of Hokkaido.
The sovereignty dispute has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from signing a peace treaty after World War II.
Japan hopes the meeting in Sochi will pave the way for the Russian President to visit Japan, a visit that had been planned since 2014 but postponed due to tensions related to Ukraine./.
According to Vietnam+
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