Latest news with #AkieAbe
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
In a rare gesture, Putin lends his car to Shinzo Abe's widow for Moscow theatre visit
Russian President offered a rare personal gesture to Akie Abe, widow of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He lent her his own luxury car for a visit to Moscow's iconic Bolshoi Theatre. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The meeting took place on Thursday at the Kremlin and was aired on Russian state television. In the footage, Akie Abe was seen shedding tears as Putin praised her late husband's legacy and their shared diplomatic efforts. "I am very grateful to your husband. I will remember his contribution to the development of Russian-Japanese cooperation," Putin said, presenting Akie with a bouquet of flowers. He also encouraged her to enjoy the ballet and arranged for her to be driven in his personal Russian-made Aurus limousine. The Kremlin said the visit was not official. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters the government had 'not had any correspondence with (Akie)' and was 'not in a position to comment.' The meeting is being viewed as a charm offensive by the Russian side at a time when relations between the two countries remain strained due to Japan's sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. During their conversation, Putin remembered Abe's efforts toward a peace treaty between their nations. 'I know his dream — and he pursued it earnestly — was concluding a peace treaty between our nations. We made significant progress together on this path,' he said according to Asahi Shimbun. But he added, 'The current situation differs; we will not address that aspect today.' Akie Abe said, 'The fact that (Shinzo) hosted you [in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 2016] demonstrates his particularly sincere attitude toward your country.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She added that although she is not a politician, 'Russia is a very important neighbour' for Japan and expressed hope for continued cultural exchange. Reflecting on her late husband's relationship with Putin, she said, 'Even after the onset of the challenging situation concerning Ukraine, my husband hoped to meet with you. Regrettably, circumstances prevented further meetings: his life was cut short.' Shinzo Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and met with Putin 27 times during his tenure. He was shot and killed in July 2022 while giving a campaign speech in Nara. Putin did not attend his state funeral in Tokyo that year.
Japan Forward
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Akie Abe Meets Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow
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." Akie Abe (second from left) and President Vladimir Putin (second from right), in a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow. May 29 (©Sputnik via Reuters) 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." Akie Abe meets Russian President Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 29. (©Sputnik via Reuters) 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." Akie Abe departs from the Kremlin in a limousine after meeting with President Putin. May 29, 2025 (©Sputnik via Reuters) (Read the article in Japanese .) Author: Yuichi Onoda, The Sankei Shimbun
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
After Trump, Shinzo Abe's Widow Meets Putin
Russian leader Vladimir Putin hosted the widow of assassinated former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, the Kremlin said, five months after then US president-elect Donald Trump welcomed her at Mar-a-Lago. Akie Abe was not in Russia in an official capacity, and Tokyo -- whose relations with Moscow are frosty -- said Friday it had not communicated with the 62-year-old about the visit, AFP said. Putin said it had been Shinzo Abe's "dream" to conclude "a peace treaty between our nations", according to a Kremlin statement in English published on Thursday. "The current situation differs; we will not address that aspect today," Putin said, offering Abe flowers and reportedly his presidential limousine to go to a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre. While Putin made a trip to Shinzo Abe's little-visited home prefecture Yamaguchi in 2016, Japan-Russia relations -- while never warm -- have deteriorated sharply since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Akie Abe, who also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September, said her late husband had met Putin no fewer than 27 times. "I might add that even after the onset of the challenging situation concerning Ukraine, my husband hoped to meet with you. Regrettably, circumstances prevented further meetings: his life was cut short," the Kremlin quoted Abe as saying. Born to a wealthy Japanese family, she married Shinzo Abe in 1987 and rose to prominence during his terms as prime minister from 2006-7 and 2012-20. As Japan's longest-serving premier, Abe became one of the country's most recognizable political figures, known for cultivating international alliances and his "Abenomics" economic strategy. He was shot and killed while speaking at a political campaign rally on July 8, 2022. Shinzo Abe was also close to Trump during the US president's first term, gifting him a gold-colored golf club that the American admitted in 2023 to temporarily misplacing.
United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Putin receives widow of former Japanese PM Abe in Kremlin
Moscow, May 30 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has received Akie Abe, the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in the Kremlin, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Vladimir Putin received in the Kremlin the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, killed in an assassination attempt, Akie Abe, who is currently in Moscow," Peskov said. At the meeting with Akie Abe, Putin said that Shinzo Abe had done a lot to develop relations between Russia and Japan. "Your husband has done a lot to develop Russian-Japanese relations. And I developed very good personal relations with him," the Russian president said on Thursday. Shinzo Abe sincerely sought to conclude a peace treaty between Russia and Japan, and at that time the countries made serious progress along this path, but today the situation is different, Putin also said. He said the former Japanese prime minister had also sincerely sought to fully restore Russian-Japanese cooperation and had done a lot to achieve this. On July 8, 2022, Abe was fatally shot while speaking during his campaign speech in Nara Prefecture. UNI SPUTNIK ARN
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Putin meets Abe's widow, reflects on ex-PM's ‘dream' to strike Russia-Japan peace treaty
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to former prime minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, saying he knew the slain Japanese leader had dreamed of finally concluding a post-second world war peace treaty. Advertisement No treaty was ever signed as the two countries could not resolve a dispute over the then-Soviet Union's seizure at the end of the war of four islands in the Southern Kuril chain, known in Japan as the Northern Territories. Russian media said Abe and Putin met altogether 27 times during the nearly nine years the Japanese leader was in office. Abe left office in 2020 and was assassinated two years later while making an election campaign speech. 'I know that his dream – and he truly strived to achieve this – was to conclude a peace treaty between our two countries. The situation is different now,' the Russian leader said. Putin, whose comments to Abe's widow in the Kremlin were reported by Russian news agencies, also said fulfilling that dream was not possible in the current international situation given the conflict in Ukraine Advertisement 'Your husband did a great deal for the development of Russian-Japanese relations. We had very good personal relations,' Putin was quoted as telling Akie Abe.
