Japan PM Emphasises Need for Energy Cooperation with Russia

In the context of the military operation in Iraq, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has stressed the need for energy co-operation with Russia.

Answering questions during the Monday debate in the budget commission of the Japanese House of Representatives, he paid attention to the fact that Japan imports nearly 90 percent of oil from countries of the Middle East. In this connection, Junichiro Koizumi spoke of the "need to diversify sources of energy".

"Russia is an exporter, and Japan is an importer of oil. In the field of energy, mutually beneficial co-operation between the two countries is a possibility", he said.