Summit Meeting without Substance

Taking opportunity of the leaders meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Danang, Vietnam, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. It was the twentieth meeting for them as the leaders and the last meeting was in September. Well, is there any topic for them to talk about? The biggest news this time was that they agreed on continuing the visit of former Japanese residents to their old cemetery in Northern Territory by airplane. Is that any sort of news anyway?

The meeting continued 50 minutes with the Ministers of both sides. In addition Abe had 15-minute tête-à-tête dialogue only including their interpreters, appealing moderate relationship with Russian President who had a few friends in the Western world. Abe was delighted with having frank and detailed discussion which substance was not announced. Putin congratulated continuous progress of their bilateral relations.

Outcome of the meeting had nothing new. They hoped to fly airplane from Hokkaido to Northern Territory next year, as both government did for the first time this year. The former Japanese residents in the Territory have gotten too old to visit the islands by ships. Although Russia had been reluctant to accept aircraft in their aerial military defense zone, humanitarian demand drew a compromise from rigorous Kremlin.

Both leaders also evaluated the second public-private research for joint economic activities in Northern Island as “steady progress toward concluding the peace treaty.” Both governments will have a meeting of their working group within this year and Vice-Ministers meeting early next year for five piloting activities, including cultivation of sea products or tourism, to take shape.

One problem crucially important has not settled, anyway. On which legislation, Japan or Russia, are those activities going to be exercised? Japan expects to establish special system not to accumulate economic activities in its own territory regulated by Russian laws. Russia shows no intention of compromise, insisting on its domestic legislation system. Both governments have seen no possibility of breakthrough on this issue so far.

Abe wants to stress his good chemistry with Putin, which is actually rare in current international politics. It is not clear what kind of topic he shared with Putin in 15-minute private talk. Was it about Abe’s good relationship with United States President Donald Trump, who had also been supposed to have a close relationship with Russia? Or did Abe insist on putting pressure on North Korea to Russian President who was insisting on peaceful solution? Having said that, the meeting is supposed to be fruitless.