Russia - Japan (December 2016)
On December 2-3, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will pay a working visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The foreign ministers will hold talks. Mr Kishida’s trip to Moscow will sum up a series of bilateral political, economic, cultural, humanitarian and other contacts in 2016 and will serve as the final stage of preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming official visit to Japan. We proceed from the assumption that the common task of both parties is to formulate a high-quality and detailed agenda for the leaders’ summit in Japan, the aim of which is to constructively develop and to more fully unlock the substantial cooperation potential. We expect to discuss the entire range of issues of mutual interest with our Japanese partners. Mr Lavrov and Mr Kishida will exchange opinions on the bilateral agenda, focusing on more intensive political dialogue and economic cooperation, as well as on more active cooperation in international affairs. The foreign ministers will touch upon the peace treaty issue during their talks. Bilateral dialogue on this issue continues under an agreement between the national leaders. We intend to cooperate with Japan, a non-permanent UN Security Council member, on key issues of regional and international agendas in 2016-2017. Topical issues include security in the Asia Pacific region, such as in the context of the complicated situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the creation of a new security system in the region. We would like to note positive trends linked with the more active Russian-Japanese political dialogue, top-level dialogue, in the first place. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have met three times this year, on May 6 in Sochi, September 2 in Vladivostok and November 19 in Lima. We have been working closely with the Japanese Foreign Ministry while preparing the upcoming summit. In April 2016, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Tokyo. Since then, the foreign ministers have been in contact twice, in a telephone conversation on September 12 and at their September 21 meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Both countries have invigorated their high-level inter-parliamentary ties. In June 2016, State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin visited Tokyo, followed by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in late October and early November. Ms Matviyenko met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speakers of both houses of the Japanese Diet (Parliament), and representatives of the country’s political elite, business community and regional authorities. Regular consultations between national security councils are becoming a promising format of dialogue with Tokyo. On November 9, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev met with Shotaro Yachi, Secretary General of the Japanese National Security Council, in Moscow. The parties discussed a wide range of issues of the bilateral agenda and also global issues. They focused on efforts to maintain security in the Asia Pacific region. Expert dialogue on cyber-security is an important aspect of cooperation in this area. On November 10, Moscow hosted specialised Russian-Japanese inter-departmental consultations. The parties agreed to draft a relevant memorandum that would be signed at the top level during the visit. Energetic joint work continues to specify and coordinate promising long-term bilateral projects on the basis of the cooperation plan submitted in Sochi by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Russian side’s reciprocal proposals, including those voiced at a meeting of the Consultative Council on Modernizing Russian Economy (September 19, Kazan), during the Tokyo visit by Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Galushka (September 6-11) and the first meeting of the high-level working group (November 3) in Moscow that involved Japanese Minister for Economic Cooperation with Russia Hiroshige Seko. On November 15, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida discussed the results of these events at the 12th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission for Trade and Economic Issues, in Tokyo. Bilateral cultural ties are developing successfully. The traditional festival of Russian Culture in Japan will close this December. In the 11 years of its existence, the festival has allowed 14 million people to gain an insight into Russia’s classic and modern art. Ballet performances, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theatre’s Tokyo tour, were particularly popular this year. Following instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, work is underway to coordinate the main parameters of the Year of Russia in Japan and the Year of Japan in Russia in 2018.
On December 2-3, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will pay a working visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The foreign ministers will hold talks. Mr Kishida’s trip to Moscow will sum up a series of bilateral political, economic, cultural, humanitarian and other contacts in 2016 and will serve as the final stage of preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming official visit to Japan. We proceed from the assumption that the common task of both parties is to formulate a high-quality and detailed agenda for the leaders’ summit in Japan, the aim of which is to constructively develop and to more fully unlock the substantial cooperation potential. We expect to discuss the entire range of issues of mutual interest with our Japanese partners. Mr Lavrov and Mr Kishida will exchange opinions on the bilateral agenda, focusing on more intensive political dialogue and economic cooperation, as well as on more active cooperation in international affairs. The foreign ministers will touch upon the peace treaty issue during their talks. Bilateral dialogue on this issue continues under an agreement between the national leaders. We intend to cooperate with Japan, a non-permanent UN Security Council member, on key issues of regional and international agendas in 2016-2017. Topical issues include security in the Asia Pacific region, such as in the context of the complicated situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the creation of a new security system in the region. We would like to note positive trends linked with the more active Russian-Japanese political dialogue, top-level dialogue, in the first place. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have met three times this year, on May 6 in Sochi, September 2 in Vladivostok and November 19 in Lima. We have been working closely with the Japanese Foreign Ministry while preparing the upcoming summit. In April 2016, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Tokyo. Since then, the foreign ministers have been in contact twice, in a telephone conversation on September 12 and at their September 21 meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Both countries have invigorated their high-level inter-parliamentary ties. In June 2016, State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin visited Tokyo, followed by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in late October and early November. Ms Matviyenko met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speakers of both houses of the Japanese Diet (Parliament), and representatives of the country’s political elite, business community and regional authorities. Regular consultations between national security councils are becoming a promising format of dialogue with Tokyo. On November 9, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev met with Shotaro Yachi, Secretary General of the Japanese National Security Council, in Moscow. The parties discussed a wide range of issues of the bilateral agenda and also global issues. They focused on efforts to maintain security in the Asia Pacific region. Expert dialogue on cyber-security is an important aspect of cooperation in this area. On November 10, Moscow hosted specialised Russian-Japanese inter-departmental consultations. The parties agreed to draft a relevant memorandum that would be signed at the top level during the visit. Energetic joint work continues to specify and coordinate promising long-term bilateral projects on the basis of the cooperation plan submitted in Sochi by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Russian side’s reciprocal proposals, including those voiced at a meeting of the Consultative Council on Modernizing Russian Economy (September 19, Kazan), during the Tokyo visit by Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Galushka (September 6-11) and the first meeting of the high-level working group (November 3) in Moscow that involved Japanese Minister for Economic Cooperation with Russia Hiroshige Seko. On November 15, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida discussed the results of these events at the 12th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission for Trade and Economic Issues, in Tokyo. Bilateral cultural ties are developing successfully. The traditional festival of Russian Culture in Japan will close this December. In the 11 years of its existence, the festival has allowed 14 million people to gain an insight into Russia’s classic and modern art. Ballet performances, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theatre’s Tokyo tour, were particularly popular this year. Following instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, work is underway to coordinate the main parameters of the Year of Russia in Japan and the Year of Japan in Russia in 2018.