“I think that in fact from the point of view of economic expediency and logic it would be correct to find some sort of compromise, I am sure that everyone understands this”, Putin said.
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“It wasn’t us who rejected a freeze on production volumes, it was our Saudi partners who at the last minute changed their point of view and chose to take a time out in taking this decision”, Putin was quoted as saying.
“We consider that it is the right decision for world markets, that’s the first thing”, Putin told Bloomberg News.
Russian Federation and U.S. are on opposing sides of the Syria conflict with Moscow flying a bombing campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Washington demanding he go.
Abe has been pushing for progress in the dispute over the Russian-held islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the southern Kurils in Russia.
“We don’t trade in territories, although the problem of a peace treaty with Japan is a key one”, Putin said through an interpreter.
“We need … a high level of trust, and we need such a formula, so that neither of the parties would feel itself a loser”.
For 70 years since the surrender, Tokyo has refused to sign a formal peace treaty, which is considered necessary for any serious Japanese investment in the Russian Far East.
Abe’s visit to Russian Federation – his second this year – comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japanin December, his first trip there since 2005.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the leaders had discussed the disputed islands at talks that had focused on boosting trade ties but remained vague on the prospects of solving the conflict.
Recently, Russia started constructing new modern compounds for its troops stationed on the islands; a move that irked Japan.
“Let’s put an end to this abnormal situation which has lasted 70 years, and together start to build a new epoch in Russia-Japan ties that will last the next 70 years”, Abe said.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo previous year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians.
“We’re not talking about some exchange or some sale”, Putin was quoted as saying.
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In his former role, Seko formed a team with Shotaro Yachi – a key foreign policy adviser to Abe – and officials from the foreign and finance ministries to consider economic cooperation with Russian Federation following Abe’s presentation of the eight-point plan in Sochi.
