MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japanese media cited government sources as saying this week that that official consultations on joint economic projects on the Southern Kuril Islands are scheduled for March 14.
"It is planned that in the course of the upcoming talks a package of projects that could be implemented in the near future will be coordinated," Director of the ministry's Third Asian Department Lyudmila Vorobyova said.
An agreement on joint economic activities on Southern Kuril Islands was reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan on December 15-16, 2016.
In a visit to Russia on Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tokyo was considering and defining aspects of joint economic activities with Russia on the islands in fishing, tourism, healthcare, the environment and other areas.
Kishida stressed that next month's consultations were important as part of a developing political dialogue between the countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to visit Russia in the first half of this year, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik.
"The issue of the visit of the prime minister is being worked on. It may happen in the first half of this year," Director of the ministry's Third Asian Department Lyudmila Vorobyova said.
The meeting of Russia’s and Japan’s foreign and defense minister in the 2+2 can take place as early as the first half of 2017, the Russian Foreign Ministry also said.
"The specific dates for holding such a meeting are being coordinated now. We suppose that it will happen in the first half of this year," Director of the ministry's Third Asian Department Lyudmila Vorobyova said.
The last such meeting took place in Tokyo in 2013.
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