“Secial system” for conducting joint economic activities with Russia might face twists and turns

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during talks on Thursday and Friday to start discussing a “special system” for conducting “joint economic activities” on the four islands of the northern territories.
The Japanese government intends to use such economic collaboration to eventually resolve the issue of the northern territories and conclude a peace treaty with Russia. However, similar ideas have not come to fruition in the past, so twists and turns are expected in designing the system.