By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Japan expects to move towards the signing of a peace treaty during the current visit to Russia of Mahasaiko Komura, minister of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic sources informed.
The press secretary of the Japanese foreign ministry, Kazuo Kodama, affirmed that during talks with Komuras counterpart, Serguei Lavrof, new opportunities are expected for an arrangement that dates back to 1945.
Moscow and Tokyo had not signed a formal peace treaty after the Second World War regarding discrepancies over the Kuril Islands, under Kremlin sovereignty.
“We need to sign a peace treaty to promote high level relations,” Kodama expressed.
The visit of the minister to Russia will extend until April 15 during which talks will also be held with the Russian minister of Industry and Energy, Victor Kistenko, regarding future trade and bilateral economic ties.
The director of the Russian Atomenergoprom corporation, Vladimir Travin and Japanese executive director of Toshiba, Arsutoshi Nishida, recently signed an agreement to collaborate in several fields of nuclear technologies.
During his visit to Russia the top ranking Asian chancellor will visit a Toyota auto plant in Saint Petersburg with capacity of producing 20 thousand vehicles a year.
During the inauguration of this complex last December, president Vladimir Putin assured that trade between both countries in 2007 grew 40 percent and in the near future should reach 18,5 billion dollars,