Moscow Seeks Closer Cooperation with Japan: Putin

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 15, 2002

Moscow Seeks Closer Cooperation with Japan: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country was seeking closer cooperation with Japan in all areas, especially in the economic sphere.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country was seeking closer cooperation with Japan in all areas, especially in the economic sphere.

During his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in the Kremlin, Putin said economic cooperation between the two countries was insufficient while bilateral trade in 2001 even dropped by 11 percent over the previous year.

A lot of work could be done in that direction, he added.

Meanwhile, the president expressed satisfaction with the "constant contacts" between top leaders of the two nations, citing his recent meeting and telephone talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Kawaguchi, who arrived here Friday for a four-day visit, conveyed a message from Koizumi, thanking Putin for helping with his visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) last month.

Putin praised Koizumi's Pyongyang trip as "a truly historic event, not just for Asia, but for the whole world." He said Russia was willing to continue its contribution to normalization of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Kawaguchi's visit was expected to lay the groundwork for an upcoming visit by Koizumi. Kawaguchi said Koizumi was looking forward to a summit between the two sides next January for an intensive and frank exchange of views.

Tokyo was also seeking to inject fresh political impetus into bilateral relations, she said.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov announced after the talks that Koizumi is scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Jan. 10.

The minister also said Putin and Kawaguchi did not discuss the territorial dispute over four tiny Pacific islands -- the main issue in bilateral relations that has kept Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities. He said the positions of the two countries were well known and had not changed.

Ivanov said both Moscow and Tokyo were interested in signing the peace treaty, which was key to the smooth development of bilateral relations. Both sides would work to make the treaty a reality, he added.

During their talks on Saturday, Ivanov and Kawaguchi agreed on a six-point plan for developing relations, including intensifying efforts to sign the peace treaty, boosting cooperation in the international arena and working for closer economic ties. The plan will have to be approved by Putin and Koizumi during their January summit.

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