WORLD
Japan, Russia to hold 2+2 meeting in Tokyo
Baku, May 30, AZERTAC
Japanese and Russian foreign and defense ministers are scheduled to meet on Thursday in Tokyo. They are expected to discuss the North Korean situation and the security concerns of both countries, according to NHK WORLD-JAPAN.
Two-plus-two ministerial meeting between Japan and Russia began in 2013.
In the 4th meeting on Thursday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The talks follow North Korea's latest short-range ballistic missile firing earlier this month.
Japan plans to stress the importance of sanctions based on UN Security Council resolutions and reaffirm cooperation toward denuclearization.
Tokyo also wants to ask Moscow to work together to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the North.
Russia is expected to express concerns about Japan's planned deployment of a new United States-designed missile interceptor system called Aegis Ashore.
Japan is expected to convey regrets over Russia's firing of a new type of missiles in an exercise on one of the four Russian-controlled islands claimed by Japan.
The four ministers are scheduled to hold a news conference following their meeting.
On Friday, the foreign ministers will hold talks on concluding a peace treaty that would include a solution to a territorial issue between the two countries.
The Japanese government maintains the four islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.