TOKYO (Sputnik) — Russia and Japan should strengthen cooperation in security, science, culture and sports, newly-appointed Japanese Ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki said Monday.
According to Kozuki, the development of bilateral political dialogue on different levels and helping Japanese business to enter the Russian market are the priorities of his work in Moscow.
"It is necessary to further develop cooperation, which could reveal the hidden potential of the two countries in a wide range of spheres, and I, as an ambassador, responding to the needs of every Japanese enterprise and company, want to support by all means the activity and promotion of Japanese companies in Russia," the ambassador said.
Relations between the two countries were reenergized in 2013 when Japanese Prime Minister Schinzo Abe visited Russia for the first time in a decade.
The relations between the two countries are being strained by several factors, including Tokyo's support for certain Western economic sanctions against Russia imposed in 2014 on the pretext of an internal Ukrainian conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on the sidelines of the November 2015 G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the sides discussed Putin's long-anticipated visit to Tokyo. Peskov added that a visit by Abe to Russia was also possible.
Moscow-Tokyo Economic Cooperation Complementary
Economic relations between Japan and Russia are developing and are mutually beneficial despite a decline in trade turnover in 2015, the Japanese ambassador to Russia said.
Despite decline in "foreign trade turnover, Russia's national decline in general economic indicators has a mild slope," Kozuki told RIA Novosti.
The relations between the two countries are "complementary," the ambassador said, adding that the high level of mutual economic interest was maintained through meetings on different levels.
Kozuki also noted the multi-faceted nature of the Moscow-Tokyo economic cooperation.
"Cooperation in agriculture in the area of greenhouse crops is currently developing…and this development has a great potential. And the Russian-Japanese cooperation is not limited to this, it is possible in a wide range of industries. In addition to the already developed cooperation in the energy sector, fruitful dialogue is now developing on in energy efficiency, urban environment, medicine," the ambassador said.
