Russian Premier Minister visits Japan to boost ties

Russia is interested in Japan’s large infrastructure projects, particularly in the sphere of energy, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said at his meeting with the members of the Japan Business Federation. “Opening our markets to Japanese investors, inviting them to take part in large infrastructure projects, we of course hope for reciprocity,” Fradkov stressed.

He said Russia had “enough opportunities”, especially in the field of energy, to participate in Japanese projects. The Prime Minister also mentioned the possibility of joint Russian-Japanese projects.

“I speak not only about such world-known companies as Gazprom, Rosneft and RAO Unified Energy Systems of Russia, but also about others, no less known but operating in different areas,” Fradkov said. He added that the top managers of some large Russian companies from areas other than energy, among them Basic Element, RusAl and Rostelecom, had arrived with him in Japan for negotiations with Japanese partners.

Fradkov said public opinion in Japan on the issue of the Kuril Islands had had a negative impact on the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. “They want to develop business and increase their investment activity, but public opinion ties this up with settlement of this problem,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, growing cooperation between the two countries is affecting public opinion, Fradkov said, expressing hope that the problem would finally be resolved.