Putin and Abe may meet on May 9

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may hold talks in Moscow on May 9, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said, noting that Abe’s participation in Victory Day celebrations is under discussion.

"As far as I know, regarding a meeting between the Japanese and Russian leaders, it will be held on May 9 in Moscow. The issue of the prime minister’s participation in the ceremony on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the victory over Germany is currently in the works," he said today at a news conference in Tokyo.

In his New Year greetings to Abe, the Russian leader expressed his confidence that the year of Russian-Japanese interregional and twin-city exchanges would contribute to the rapprochement between the two countries, stressing that he would be glad to see the Japanese prime minister at the celebrations in Moscow on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, TASS recalls.