Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday he agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push forward with talks toward the conclusion of a peace treaty between the two countries that has been hampered by a long-standing territorial dispute.
"I agreed with President Putin to accelerate negotiations on a peace treaty based on the 1956 joint declaration between Japan and the Soviet Union," Abe told reporters after their meeting in Singapore.
Abe said he will visit Russia early next year for further talks, expressing hope to put "an end" to the unresolved, postwar diplomatic issue through peace treaty talks between the two leaders. Abe's term ends in 2021.