Yuichi Onoda 
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Akie Abe, widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to the Kremlin with a large bouquet of flowers. Moscow, May 29 (©Sputnik via Reuters)
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Akie Abe, widow of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was invited to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 29 at the Kremlin in Moscow. The Russian presidential office later released footage and details from the meeting.
According to the Kremlin, President Putin told Mrs Abe:
"Your husband made a tremendous contribution to the advancement of Japan–Russia relations. I had an excellent personal relationship with him. Although his life was tragically ended by an act of terrorism, both his legacy and his work are deeply respected here in Russia."
'An Important Neighbor'
Akie Abe's response was also released. She reportedly said, "The main purpose of this visit is to express my gratitude for the active dialogue you shared with my husband and your efforts to strengthen Japan–Russia relations."
She added, "I'm not a politician and don't intend to speak on political issues." However, she went on to say, "Russia is an important neighbor for Japan. Even in these challenging times, I would be happy to see continued growth in cultural and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries."
Referring to Mrs Abe's husband, Putin remarked: "His dream was to conclude a peace treaty between our two nations. We made serious progress toward that goal. While the current circumstances are different and I won't speak to that today, I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet with you."
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Author: Yuichi Onoda, The Sankei Shimbun
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