Russia and Japan on the Eve of the Sochi Summit

This audiotrack is a simultaneous translation of the event 

In partnership with the Russo-Japanese Business Council, the Carnegie Moscow Center hosted a panel discussion on the prospects of Russo-Japanese relations prior to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Sochi and his talks with President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting of the two leaders in Russia, the first since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis and the introduction of sanctions against Russia, is expected to usher in a new stage in relations between both countries. Prime Minister Abe plans to discuss bilateral issues as well as present Moscow’s point of view at the upcoming G7 summit in Japan next month.

Panelists discussed the following questions:

• How justified are the expectations from both sides about the upcoming meeting?
   
• Where do relations with Tokyo fit within Moscow’s overall foreign policy strategy?
   
• Will the meeting in Sochi help promote business contacts despite the ongoing sanctions regime?
   
• Can we expect some progress on territorial disputes?
   
• How might the U.S. react?
   
• What should Moscow and Tokyo’s next steps be?

Speakers included Executive Director of the Russo-Japanese Business Council Igor Dyachenko, former Russian Ambassador to Japan Alexander Panov, Dean of the Department of International Relations at IBS at RANEPA Irina Timonina, as well as Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center Dmitri Trenin. The panel discussion was moderated by Alexander Gabuev, Chair of the “Russia in the Asia-Pacific” Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. 

Dmitri Trenin

Dmitri Trenin — Director of the Moscow Carnegie Center, Chair of the Foreign and Security Policy Program

Irina Timonina 

Irina Timonina — Professor, Dean of the Department of International Relations at the Institute of Business Studies at RANEPA

Igor Dyachenko

Igor Dyachenko — Executive Director of the Russo-Japanese Business Council, President of Taishi Global

Alexander Panov 

Alexander Panov — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of Department of Diplomacy at MGIMO-University

Alexander Gabuev 

Alexander Gabuev — Senior Associate and Chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center