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On September 29, 2020, the Prime Minister spoke to the press at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
Regarding the telephone talk with H.E. Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, the Prime Minister said,
 
"I just held a telephone talk with President Putin of Russia. President Putin expressed his congratulations on my appointment as Prime Minister. I conveyed my intention to develop Japan-Russia relations overall, which includes the conclusion of a peace treaty, and to put an end to the Northern Territories issue without leaving it to the next generation. I would like to work diligently with President Putin. President Putin expressed his intention to continue the dialogue over the whole spectrum of bilateral issues. I feel confident that President Putin and I can hold a candid discussion going forward. Japan intends to continue negotiations energetically with Russia, based on its basic policy of resolving the issue of the attribution of the four Northern Islands and concluding a peace treaty with Russia. President Putin and I also shared the intention to meet in-person and exchange views frankly on the relationship between Japan and Russia in the near future. "