Russia, Japan to Intensify Dialogue, Official SaysRussia and Japan will intensify their political dialogue next month after a pause caused by changes in the Japanese leadership, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said Wednesday.Prior to the planned dialogue between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi at the G-8 summit in July in Genoa, Italy, the first between the two leaders, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and his Japanese counterpart Makiko Tanaka are expected to meet in Rome and Genoa, said Losyukov. The two ministers are scheduled to discuss bilateral relations, global stability, and the U.S. plan to set up a national missile defense (NMD) system. They are also likely to meet again late July on the sidelines of a series of meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Putin and Koizumi at the upcoming Genoa summit "will discuss plans for future contacts, including at the highest level," the Itar-Tass news agency cited Losyukov as saying. Moscow is ready to continue the dialogue with Tokyo and that is also a wish shared by Japan, said Losyukov, who is in charge of relations with Asian countries. He described a recent visit to Russia by a Japanese business delegation as "the most representative one in the last 25 years." |
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