Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed May 6 to seek to resolve the decades-old territorial row that has barred the two countries from signing a postwar peace treaty, renewing efforts via frequent dialogues and closer economic cooperation.
"I have a sense that we are moving toward a breakthrough in the stalled peace treaty negotiations," Abe said after his meeting with Putin in Sochi, Russia. "We will proceed with the negotiations with a new approach, free of any past ideas," Abe said. (Kyodo)
安倍晋三首相は5月6日、ロシアでウラジーミル・プーチン大統領と会談した。両首脳は北方領土問題の解決に向けて、交渉を進めていくことで一致した。
The Japan Times ST: May 20, 2016