The summit talks between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not end in hikiwake, or a draw, as Putin once phrased it.
Abe scored no tangible points in a diplomatic judo match over the sovereignty of the four disputed islands off Hokkaido, and the leaders only agreed to start talks on holding joint economic activities on them.
Despite Abe¡¯s clear enthusiasm for tackling the issue, there were already signs that little progress would be made on signing a peace treaty that hinges on the dispute.
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