TOKYO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday that he hoped an upcoming meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov this week in Tokyo will be productive and help improve ties between both countries.
Ties between Tokyo and Moscow became increasingly strained following Japan slapping new sanctions against Russia in response the crisis in eastern Ukraine, along with steps taken by the United States and the European Union.
The Ukraine crisis which flared up in 2014 saw diplomatic ties frayed and a planned trip to Japan by Russian President Vladimir Putin postponed. But in October 2015 high-level talks resumed between Tokyo and Moscow, particularly related to a territorial dispute between both countries.
Kishida said Tuesday he has high hopes that his meeting with Lavrov on Friday will help improve overall Japanese-Russia ties and bring both countries closer to settling the territorial row.
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