Japan Prime Min. Abe Seen Visiting Russia in April

Moscow, Jan. 11 (Jiji Press)--Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov suggested Wednesday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's planned visit to Russia will take place in April. Shuvalov showed the prospect during his meeting in Moscow with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko. Abe earlier indicated his intention to visit Russia in the first half of 2017. Seko's ongoing Russian trip is apparently designed to lay the groundwork for Abe's possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to the country, informed sources said. Seko and Shuvalov are believed to have held talks on putting into action an eight-point bilateral economic cooperation plan and additional projects related to the initiative, following a two-day summit between Abe and Putin, held in Japan in mid-December. Under the initiative, Japan and Russia signed documents on a total of 80 specific cooperation projects. Russia's Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin was present at the Seko-Shuvalov meeting. Oreshkin took office in November to replace Alexei Ulyukayev, who was charged over bribery-taking and lost the ministerial post. On Wednesday night, Seko and lawmakers from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party accompanying the minister on his Russian trip attended a banquet hosted by Russian lawmakers. On Thursday, Seko is slated to meet with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov and pay a courtesy call on Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament. Shuvalov served as co-chair with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at a meeting of the Japan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs, held in Tokyo in November. Shuvalov was also present at the Abe-Putin summit in December. END