January 23, Wednesday, 2019 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Mariko Kojima

The leaders of Japan and Russia have agreed to further accelerate negotiations on concluding a peace treaty that would include resolving the issue of four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.
The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea are to hold their first meeting since the South Korean Supreme Court’s ruling on the wartime labor issue.
The U.S. government is likely to speed up its preparations for a second summit between the U.S. president and North Korean leader.