英语文摘:Russia turns down Japan's dog diplomacy ahead of Putin visit

TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia has turned down Japan's dog diplomacy by declining a gift of a dog for President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Japan next week, according to a Japanese legislator.

The Japanese government had planned to present Putin, who is known as a dog lover, with a male Akita as a companion to Yume, a female of the same breed that Japan gave him in 2012.

"Unfortunately, we heard from our counterparts, and our hope to present a bridegroom was dashed," Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said in a blog post on Friday.

Putin will visit Japan on Dec. 15-16. The two leaders are expected to work toward reviving security talks and joint naval rescue training halted after Russia's takeover of Crimea in 2014.

Russia and Japan have not signed a peace treaty formalizing the end of World War II due to a territorial row over four small Pacific islands, known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan.

Japan is hoping to make progress on the territorial dispute during Putin's visit.

There should be no high expectations for any immediate progress on the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan, as they still have difficulties in ironing out their differences, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday in Moscow.

"We have touched upon in detail the peace treaty issue ... It is not easy to bring together our stances, and the issue is difficult," Lavrov told reporters.