Putin’s Meeting With Abe Could Be Rescheduled

The Thursday meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could be delayed by two hours, Japanese media report.

TOKYO (Sputnik) – Putin's official visit to Japan will begin on Thursday. The Russian leader is expected to visit the city of Nagato in Yamaguchi Prefecture, as well as the capital Tokyo.

The NHK broadcaster said citing diplomatic sources on Thursday morning that Putin’s meeting with Abe will likely start a couple of hours later than the scheduled time.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has confirmed Putin’s delayed arrival to Japan. According to Suga, the Japanese authorities are currently clarifying the exact time of Putin’s arrival, as well as other details.

Putin’s visit to Japan is widely seen as a breakthrough in Russia-Japan relations taking into account that it had been put off since 2014.

Russian-Japanese relations deteriorated after Japan decided to join the sanctions imposed on Russia by Brussels, Washington and their allies in light of Crimea’s reunification with Russia in 2014 and due to Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, a claim that Russia has repeatedly refuted.

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