Official: Russia–Japan projects must not depend on territorial woes

VLADIVOSTOK, Sep 5 (PRIME) -- Economic cooperation between Russia and Japan must not solely depend on the solution of territorial issues, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told PRIME on Monday.

“It is impossible to talk about the solution of political issues without establishment of an economic base for cooperation always. We have to make people feel the benefit of solution of the political issues so that wealth of the nations rise because of the partnership. We are seeing now that the Japanese side has heard us,” Shuvalov said.

The official said that the latest Japanese program of cooperation with Russia, encompassing eight spheres of economy, is very promising but all earlier efforts to establish partnership “ended with Japan insisting on the solution of the territorial issue in accordance with its formula,” which is why Moscow does not give any forecasts concerning further relations yet.

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