Russia-Japan Diplomacy: Good and bad of bilateral relations

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Europe

Japan and Russia are both important players in Northeast Asia. The two nations remain locked in a territorial dispute over islands that fell into Russian hands after the second world war. CGTN's Timothy Ulrich takes a look at the good and the bad of their bilateral ties.

For years, the heart of Japan's relationship with Russia has been the ongoing territorial dispute surrounding the four Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories.

This dispute has prevented the two nations from signing a peace treaty to this day, decades after the end of World War two.

Relations started to warm in November 2013, when Tokyo and Moscow held their first ever diplomatic talks since 1973.

Another turning point came after Putin and Abe agreed to launch talks in December 2016.

At a summit in Moscow last year, the two leaders agreed to set aside the sovereignty issue to pursue joint research into economic activities on the islands.

VLADMIR PUTIN RUSSIAN PRESIDENT "We call on all governments involved in regional matters to refrain from using belligerent rhetoric and to strive for peaceful constructive dialogue."

The status of the islands remains in question, but the two governments have decided to continue working on improving relations.

Japanese investments are entering Russia. The two nations also have military cooperation. And the two have declared 2018 a year for cultural exchanges.

In the area of security, Japan and Russia are also cooperating on addressing the crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

Both are members of the Six-Party Talks, which have consistently denounced the DPRK's nuclear weapons program since the nation's first test in 2006.

As for Japan's deployment of the Aegis defense system, Japan insists the missile defense system is being deployed with the DPRK in mind, not Russia or China.

Abe spoke on the phone with Putin following his victory during Russia's elections on Monday. The two leaders promised to work together to get rid of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.