Lavrov and Kishida
© www.rferl.orgRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will lay the groundwork for President Putin's visit to Japan.
A visit of Japanese FM Fumio Kishida to Moscow could be considered a stage of preparation for the visit of Vladimir Putin to Tokyo.

Moscow and Tokyo are discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan, but dates have not been set yet, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said Tuesday.

"Already last year we agreed on a schedule of political contacts, which includes the visit of Japanese Foreign Minister [Fumio] Kishida for a meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission, and for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov," Morgulov told RIA Novosti.

According to the politician, "this schedule has not yet been implemented, and this is not our fault." Russia adheres to the agreements and waits for Kishida to visit Moscow, he said.

"And of course this visit could be considered a stage of preparation for the visit of the Russian president to Japan, which has been discussed between the parties, but the dates for which have not been set so far," Morgulov added.


Comment: One issue speculated to be on the table is the disputed Kuril Islands. Russia and Japan do not have a permanent peace treaty for the four islands in the Sea of Okhotsk - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai (Russia: Southern Kurils, Japan: Northern Territories). The status of the Southern Kuril Islands was set in the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty that handed over control of the islands to Russia. In February, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to reclaim the islands. Russia has been their caretaker but Japan still lays claim to them. So far Putin has not changed his position, but is apparently open to dialogue. Also on the agenda will be ways to expand economic cooperation. Lavrov and Kishida are now scheduled for a November 2 meeting.