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Russia to Continue Dialogue With Japan on Peace Treaty: FM
Russia is ready to continue a constructive dialogue with the Japanese government on concluding a permanent peace treaty between the two countries, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Tuesday.
The declaration signed at the Russian-Japanese summit in Irkutsk in March "will make it possible to guarantee progress at talks on the peace treaty and take practical steps to bring the approaches of the sides to the question closer," Ivanov told a Japanese parliamentary delegation visiting Moscow.
He said that in the joint declaration the sides agreed to continue the dialogue on the basis of all understandings reached earlier, regarding bilateral ties as being of strategic significance.
"We are ready for the continuation of the dialogue as soon as Tokyo is ready after the new Japanese cabinet is formed," Interfax news agency cited Ivanov as saying.
The current standard of relations between Russia and Japan meets the interests of both countries and peoples. The relations are developing in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, and in each other's interests, the minister said.
Head of the Japanese delegation Hiroshi Mitsuzuki handed Ivanov a personal message from the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the letter, Koizumi said he will make efforts to expand the friendly ties between the two countries, expressed the hope to meet Putin at an early date.
Koizumi said that he would like to have a frank talk with Putin on signing a peace treaty through the resolution of the Kuril Islands issue.
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