Many Western leaders have decided to skip the Sochi Winter Olympics in February, but not Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
He is planning to attend the Feb. 7 opening ceremony, hoping to showcase the importance Tokyo is placing on its relations with Moscow and resolving the long-standing dispute over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.
Officials are making the final arrangements to carve some time out of Abe's busy schedule, which is already crammed with budget deliberations in the Diet.
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