Mr Putin once again congratulated Mr Abe on his election to the post of head of the Japanese Government on September 26, 2006. Both leaders expressed hopes for constructive cooperation in the interests of developing the multi-faceted ties that exist between Russia and Japan.
Mr Putin and Mr Abe gave a very positive assessment of the current state of bilateral cooperation, which is being comprehensively developed on the basis of the Russo-Japanese Action Plan adopted in January 2003.
The two leaders also discussed the timetable for upcoming political contacts, including in light of preparations for the APEC summit in Vietnam in November.