TOKYO, October 4 (RIA Novosti) - Japan’s First Lady Akie Abe expects to see Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tokyo and wants to give him a warm welcome.
“My husband has a very good relationship with President Putin, so when he arrives in Japan I would like to give him a warm welcome,” Akie Abe told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
This week, Akie Abe took part in a presentation of Russian national sports in the context of an exchange year of martial arts between Japan and Russia. Akie Abe also participated in a demonstration of naginata, the Japanese national martial art.
Akie Abe said she would like to visit Russia and introduce naginata there.
“I will practice a little more and then I hope I will have a chance to go there,” she said.
The agreement to hold the year of bilateral exchanges was reached when Vladimir Putin visited Japan and met with the Japanese prime minister last year.
President Putin is scheduled to visit Japan this fall, but the specific dates of the visit have not been set.
Late September, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirmed he hoped to meet with Vladimir Putin in his country.
A visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida to Russia is also pending. Kishida’s visit, which is supposed to precede Putin’s trip, was supposed to take place this spring but was postponed indefinitely amid the Ukrainian crisis.
