Asahi spotlighted Moscow’s enthusiasm for generating Japanese interest in investment in Russia, noting that visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Trutnev met with leading Japanese businessmen on Monday to ask for their cooperation in the development of the Far East. Although the GOJ is anxious to promote Japanese investment in Russia with the goal of expediting the Northern Territories talks, the Japanese business community is cautious due to the vulnerability of foreign investors on account of flaws in Russia’s legal and administrative systems.

In a related development, most papers reported from Moscow on remarks made on Tuesday by a senior diplomatic assistant to President Putin, who projected that the Russian leader may visit Japan this year. While reportedly praising PM Abe’s commitment to increasing economic cooperation that he expressed during the May 6 summit in Sochi, the Russian official projected that Putin’s “long-awaited” trip to Japan would provide an opportunity to have substantive discussions on Japanese economic support.