Japanese Foreign Minister Due in Russia Soon to Prepare Putin’s Visit to Tokyo

Fumio Kishida is due in Moscow soon to discuss preparations for Vladimir Putin’s visit to Tokyo next month.

LIMA (Sputnik) — Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is due in Moscow soon to discuss preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Tokyo next month, the president’s spokesman told reporters.

"There are still issues to be talked through to prepare the ground for negotiations between the president [Putin] and the prime minister [of Japan Shinzo Abe]," Dmitry Peskov said in Lima, Peru.

Japan’s news agency Kyodo said previously Fumio Kishida was scheduled to travel to Russia on December 3 to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russian and Japanese leaders met in Lima earlier in the day, which is playing host this weekend to the APEC summit of economic leaders. Putin is expected to go to Japan on a state visit on December 15-16. Abe promised him a warm traditional reception.