Japan-Russia Summit. Time to exploit complementarities?

Russian President Vladimir Putin – who has already met Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe several times, both in Russia and elsewhere – made make a long-awaited official visit to Japan on 15 and 16 December 2016. The visit was the outcome of Abe's effort to create a climate of confidence between the two countries, and thereby achieve an agreement on the territorial dispute that has prevented the signature of a peace treaty for more than 70 years, which concerns the islands known as the Northern Territories or Southern Kurils.

Japan ─ a technologically advanced country ─ and Russia ─ a country extraordinarily rich in mineral resources ─ have complementary economies that would gain mutual benefit from a higher degree of cooperation.

Nevertheless, and despite their geographical proximity, the level of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is comparatively low.

Author: Enrico D'Ambrogio

• Primary Source

Wikipedia: Japan-Russia relations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan%E2%80%93Russia_relations

The Guardian, 15.12.16: Vladimir Putin seeks formal end to second world war hostilities with Japan https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/putin-japan-kuril-islands-russia-abe-summit

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