Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in Japan for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held November 13-14 in Yokohama.
At the summit, Medvedev is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan despite a recent diplomatic spat between Moscow and Tokyo over the Kuril Islands.
A long-standing territorial dispute between both countries over the Kuril Islands, called the Northern Territories by Japan, was aggravated by a recent visit by Medvedev to one of the islands. Tokyo has described the visit, the first trip by a Russian president to the disputed islands, as "regrettable," while Moscow argued it is up to the Russian authorities to decide on their trips inside the country.
Last week Kan said he was not sure if the meeting with the Russian president would go ahead.
Foreign leaders at the summit will not be asked to wear the host nation's traditional kimono, as a part of the 17-year-old tradition when the leaders of the Asian-Pacific countries put on the host country's national attire to pose for photo shoots.
Many believe the move was made so as not to make the leaders of China and South Korea "uncomfortable" because of Japan's colonization past in Asia.
YOKOHAMA, November 12 (RIA Novosti)