"As for the simplification of visa formalities, we have confirmed that we have been preparing for the visit of the Russian president, so that each side could announce the steps, which they consider," Kishida said during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Putin is expected to visit Japan on December 15. The countries are expected to sign agreements in a wide range of areas, including economy, culture, science and humanitarian issues.
The Russian-Japanese relations are tainted by the territorial dispute between the two countries. Japan claims back four Kuril Islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Habomai and Iturup, which Russia considers to be its own territory, according to the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty that transferred the control of the islands to the Soviet Union. The dispute prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty after World War II.
