茂木氏、１７日から初訪ロ　平和条約めぐり外相会談

　茂木敏充外相は１０日の閣議後の記者会見で、１７～２１日の日程でモスクワを就任後初めて訪問し、ロシアのラブロフ外相と会談すると発表した。茂木氏は「領土問題を解決して平和条約を締結するため、具体的な協議に入れればと思う」と強調した。
　両外相の会談は、米ニューヨーク、名古屋市に続き３回目。過去２回は国際会議の機会を捉えた短時間の会談にとどまっており、本格的な平和条約締結交渉に臨むのは、今回が初めてとなる。（2019/12/10-16:57）

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday he will visit Moscow from Dec. 17 to 21 for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
   "I hope to have discussions on concrete ways to resolve the territorial issue and conclude a peace treaty," he said at a press conference.
   Since assuming the current post in September, Motegi has only briefly met Lavrov twice.
   During his first Moscow visit as foreign minister, Motegi aims to hold full-fledged negotiations for settling the long-standing territorial row over the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido and inking the treaty to officially end World War II hostilities between the two countries.
   Motegi-Lavrov talks are likely to take place on Dec. 19, informed sources said, adding that the Japanese minister will co-chair a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues with Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin on Dec. 18.