Russian And Japan Foreign Ministers Discuss Schedule Of Coming Political Contacts Of Two Countries

Russian and Japanese Foreign Ministers Igor Ivanov and Makiko Tanaka discussed the schedule of the coming political contacts of the two countries by telephone Wednesday, the press and information department of the Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti. A regular meeting of the Russian-Japanese intergovernmental commission on trade and economic issues is to be held before the end of the year. Besides, the Russian and Japanese foreign ministers are scheduled to exchange visits. The coming negotiations and consultations are to lay down necessary foundations for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's official visit to Moscow scheduled for 2002, the ministers noted. Ivanov and Tanaka also exchanged opinions on vital international problems. Russia and Japan "agree upon the necessity to unite the world community efforts against international terrorism and upon the importance to boost bilateral Russian-Japanese cooperation in this sphere." Besides, they decided to boost the Russian and Japanese foreign ministries' consultations on different aspects of international politics. The Russian side confirmed its readiness "to take successive efforts to support positive development of the Russian-Japanese relations in other policies, including expansion of the trade and economic cooperation and continuation of the peace treaty negotiations," the department noted.