MOSCOW. Jan 21 (Interfax) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping that a mutually acceptable solution to the problem of Russian-Japanese peace treaty will be found during his upcoming consultations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"I intend to continue close consultations with President Putin and achieve a mutually acceptable solution to the problem," Abe said in an interview with Interfax ahead of his visit to Moscow.
"I am fully determined to achieve, under our joint direction, a conclusion of talks on the peace treaty - the issue remaining unsolved during the entire post-war period," Abe said.
The lack of the peace treaty prevents the bilateral economic capabilities from expanding, Abe said.
"To fully put into practice the potential in the two countries' relations and even further promote our cooperation, it is necessary to settle the situation surrounding the absence of the peace treaty between Japan and Russia as soon as possible," he said.
As reported, the Japanese prime minister will arrive in Moscow on Monday evening. He is expected to be received by Putin on Tuesday, January 22.
The full text of the interview will be published on www.interfax.ru, and in an electronic version and in print of the Kommersant publication.