Japan, Russia Issue 15 Documents on Bilateral CooperationJapan and Russia issued 15 documents on agreements for expanding bilateral cooperation Tuesday, the final day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's three-day official visit to Japan.Prominent among the documents are a joint statement on cooperation on international issues, a new program on economic cooperation, and an agreement for promoting joint economic activities on four disputed Russian-held islands off Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. In the statement on international issues signed by Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, the Russian president committed his country to supporting Japan's bid for permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council. The statement also spelled out cooperation on Asia-Pacific, as well as global issues including conflict prevention, disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation. Putin and Mori called for further dialogue between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to ease tension, while welcoming the first-ever inter-Korean summit held in June. On the joint economic activities on the disputed islands, the two leaders agreed to accelerate expert-level talks toward realizing a marine farm for sea urchins and shellfish. The new program also reiterated Japan's support for Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization and offers technical assistance to that end. The documents are aimed at improving the environment for Tokyo and Moscow to proceed with negotiations on their 1997 agreement that calls on both sides to strive toward resolving their long-standing territorial dispute and signing a peace treaty by the end of 2000. During talks on Monday and Tuesday, Putin and Mori failed to narrow their differences over the territorial row which concerns the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan, and the Habomai islets. |
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