There is something that I have in common with every citizen of Russia, the love for our motherland.

If you aspire to be a leader of your own country, you must speak your own language, for God's sake.

If we do it, if we work to achieve all this [cultural exchange with Japan], we can and should talk about joint efforts toward ensuring international security, and not only in the Far East.

Russia is opposed to the proliferation of mass destruction weapons, including nuclear weapons, and in this context we call upon our Iranian friends to abandon the uranium enrichment programme.

As regards humanitarian issues and how to handle them, that was the Prime Minister's [Shinzō Abe] initiative. He brought the matter up at our last meeting in Lima and asked me straightforwardly whether we would agree to let Japanese citizens travel on a visa-free basis, resolve the issue in such a way as to enable them to visit the South Kurils, visit their native areas. I said at once that it was quite possible.

We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

I am in regular contact with Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe. We have met several times this year [2016].