Russia interested in Japan

In 2003, Russian-Japanese trade will rise by 40 percent to $5bn, said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov who is currently on an official visit to Japan. Kasyanov named energy cooperation with Japan the most promising for Russia, given that the annual rate of development of the Russian energy sector is as much as 10 percent. In particular, the official stressed the successful implementation of the Sakhalin-1 and the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas projects, and expressed hope that Japanese businessmen would actively participate in oil exploration of Eastern Siberia. According to Kasyanov, cooperation with Japan is among Russia's priorities, as it helps diversify Russia's economy, develop the telecommunications industry, car manufacturing and railroad transportation.