The Russian ambassador to Japan said Thursday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's absence from a commemorative World War II event in Moscow later this week won't affect the schedule for bilateral dialogue, including a potential visit by President Vladimir Putin.
At a news conference in Tokyo, Evgeny Afanasiev also said he respects the decisions of other leaders on whether to attend Saturday's ceremony in Russia marking the 70th anniversary of the war's end in Europe.
In a letter, Abe told Putin that he is unable to attend the event because of a "schedule conflict," according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.
As for Putin's visit, which was put off last year and has yet to be rescheduled, the ambassador said proper preparations are needed for that to happen, including a visit to Russia by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
Kishida's visit was postponed following Russia's annexation of Crimea in southern Ukraine in March 2014.
Afanasiev indicated that Tokyo's economic sanctions against Russia, imposed in step with the United States and European countries after the annexation, could hinder Russo-Japanese dialogue aimed at resolving the long-running territorial dispute between the countries.
The Abe government is eager to make progress in the dispute but has found itself squeezed by Russia's actions in Ukraine.