13 January 2003 00:00
REMARKS AND REPLIES TO QUESTIONS BY RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI AT JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING RUSSIAN-JAPANESE TALKS
Esteemed ladies and gentlemen. I am sincerely glad to once again welcome the Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, and the representative Japanese delegation to the Moscow Kremlin.
This meeting has a special significance for the development of relations between our countries. Russia and Japan are states whose role in world affairs is exceptionally great. And in this sense we consider it necessary to conduct a continual dialogue at the highest level and check our positions on key issues of regional and international politics.
The talks passed constructively and made it possible to determine the basic guidelines for Russian-Japanese cooperation both for the coming years and for the long term.
We also attach great significance to the signing of the Joint Statement on the Adoption of the Plan of Action for Developing Russian-Japanese Relations. This document embraces practically all the areas of our cooperation. It is forward-looking and demonstrates our common desire to deepen bilateral ties consistently and systemically.
I am convinced that the implementation of the tasks set in the Plan of Action will help to take Russian-Japanese relations to a new level.
In the course of the talks we reiterated our countries' striving to cooperate in the solution of global issues now facing the world community. Among them: fighting international terrorism, nuclear disarmament and maintaining the nonproliferation regimes, enhancing the United Nations role.
Prime Minister Koizumi and I discussed in detail the prospects for the development of business cooperation between our countries. A decision was taken to instruct our agencies to analyze the possibilities for stepping up work on a whole series of key areas of trade and economic ties. This concerns, first and foremost, promotion of investment cooperation and the development and transportation of the energy resources of Eastern Siberia and Russia's Far East. There are quite a few interesting projects in the field of high technologies too, in particular - in the area of telecommunications and communication.
We also attach great importance to the development of interregional contacts, and traditionally we pay serious attention to humanitarian cooperation. In this connection I would like to note that we've actively backed up the idea of holding a Japanese Culture Festival in Russia in 2003.
Of course, during the talks, especially tete-a-tete, we discussed the peace treaty problem. We again reaffirmed the importance of carrying forward our dialogue consistently and looking for ways to reach an agreement. That solution should be mutually acceptable and take the interests of our countries and peoples into account comprehensively.
We intend to continue to develop a vigorous political dialogue, as well as a dialogue in the military sphere. Work will be continued between the foreign affairs agencies of the two countries. Soon we expect a visit to be paid to Moscow by the Japanese Defense Agency head, Mr. Shigeru Ishiba. In conclusion I would like to emphasize that the consultations were held on a very good level and in a very candid atmosphere. And we've agreed that tonight we will have yet another opportunity to continue the exchange of views with the Prime Minister in an informal setting.
Our guests still have a big program, both tomorrow in Moscow, and a visit to Khabarovsk Territory. I want to express hope that this work will be substantial and interesting for our Japanese friends.
Thank you.
Question: Shortly before the start of your talks the reports came in that North Korea had announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. On your part, what concrete actions are likely in this matter? And one more question to Mr. Putin. The Plan of Action says that Russia will render assistance in normalizing relations between Japan and North Korea. I would like to hear what is your approach to this problem.
President Putin: With regard to the nuclear programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Russia advocates a nuclear-free regime for the Korean Peninsula, the preservation and strengthening of the regime of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Our position on this issue is principled and invariable.
At the same time we had a close look at the statement of the North Korean side and took notice of the fact that the DPRK leadership leaves the door for negotiations open. We expect that it is precisely in the course of the negotiations that all the questions and concerns of all the parties can be removed, and will.
As to our participation in the process of a full-scale re-establishment of relations between the DPRK and Japan, we are ready to do all in our power for this process to develop in an ongoing way and actively. We are in constant contact with the Prime Minister on this issue, just as we are with the North Korean side.
And in this connection I cannot but note the courageous and very correct, effective move of the Japanese Prime Minister, directed to the restoration of relations with North Korea - I mean his recent visit to Pyongyang. I think this was a very expressive gesture of desire for peace, for the development of relations in the region, and to my mind - it was a productive move. I am confident that it has created a good prospect, a good basis for developing bilateral relations, even in dealing with the questions which earlier were practically not discussed by the North Korean side but at the same time are very sensitive for our Japanese partners. Despite all the complexity of the problems which we encounter on the Korean Peninsula, it seems to me that they can be solved through negotiation.
Question: Today a Russian-Japanese Plan of Action was adopted at the highest level. What do you think constitutes the principled novelty of this document and how will it influence the concrete aspects of cooperation, including those in the trade and economic sphere?
President Putin: I must say that we attach very great importance to the signing of this document. For a long time we did not have this kind of talks with our Japanese partners either. With other countries, strictly speaking, we have no similar documents.
The document represents a kind of basis for developing interaction practically in all the areas of our cooperation. Not least in the field of economy. Today I already spoke of growth areas. The Plan of Action is, in the Prime Minister's figurative phrase, a "guiding map" which gives us an opportunity to develop and deepen relations under individual agreements in key areas for us.
So that the chief novelty is that the plan has a comprehensive character.
Question: The main unresolved issue is the territorial question. Within the framework of the work of the Big Eight, a call was issued on Russia to respond to the sincere expectations of the Japanese people. What can you say on that score?
President Putin: With regard to the interests of the people, I would like to say the following. When the political, or intellectual elites of this or that country want to advance a solution - they always refer to the interests of the people. In so doing, regrettably, not always do we bother to find out just what are the interests of the people, of whom we speak.
I am profoundly convinced that it meets the interests of the Russian and Japanese peoples, the implementation of the tasks we set in the Plan of Action, namely - fostering cooperation and coordination in all, including very sensitive, fields. Of course, this aim cannot be achieved unless we treat each other with respect. That's how the Russian side intends to build work with Japan, including on the problem of concluding a peace treaty.
Today during the meeting in a narrow composition Mr. Prime Minister gave a sufficiently figurative, interesting and informative account of the history of Russian-Japanese relations. I am convinced that bilateral ties between Russia and Japan have good prospects, a good future. Naturally we will attain this only if we adopt decisions by taking the interests of both countries into account.
I agree also that no fair settlement can be achieved without taking into account the entire range of accords we now have. It is necessary, furthermore, to remember as a result of what events and what decisions these islands found themselves under Russian jurisdiction. Mr. Prime Minister insisted that at the base of further work must be placed the entire range of accords reached in recent years - and we have agreed with this proposal of the Japanese side.
We will strive to ensure that Russian-Japanese relations are devoid of all irritating elements. This statement does not bear an ad hoc character and it is not aimed at obtaining momentary economic advantages from cooperation. On the contrary, we are anxious to build relations with Japan for the long term because we are utterly convinced that this meets our and Japanese national interests.
And considering the sensitiveness of this issue both for the one and for the other side, the sole correct solution will be the execution of the Plan of Action which we today signed and which must create necessary conditions: the conditions of good-neighborliness, cooperation and coordination in all the fields of mutual interest. And despite the complexity of this problem, I think that if we act in this spirit, we will achieve a positive result here as well.
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