Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich on Sunday to lay the groundwork for a visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in December.
Abe told Dvorkovich he hopes to "produce results in wide areas such as politics and the economy and make (the talks) an opportunity to develop Japan-Russia relations comprehensively," the Foreign Ministry said.
Abe is pinning his hopes of inking a peace treaty to formally end World War II with Russia on the talks with Putin.