MOSCOW, September 27 (RIA Novosti) - Nobutaka Machimura, Japan's newly-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a statement on contacts with Russia as top priority. Moscow has met it with enthusiasm, says Boris Malakhov, official Foreign Ministry spokesman.
"As he was addressing his maiden news conference, Mr. Machimura highlighted relations with Russia among principal alleys of Japanese diplomacy. Moscow has paid due attention to it, and greets the statement," he said to Novosti.
Nobutaka Machimura is a steeled government functionary, and has stored vast diplomatic experience as parliamentary deputy of the Foreign Minister, pointed out Mr. Malakhov.
"We hope Russo-Japanese relations will keep up and buttress their positive developmental trends of the preceding years." Russia, on its part, regards its contacts with Japan among top priorities, and looks forward to their spectacular extension to get over to creative partnership, added the diplomat.
