Results of the First Japan-Russia Experts’ Meeting on Cooperation on the Preservation of the Ecosystem and its Sustainable Use in Areas of Japan and Russia

May 19, 2008

The first Japan-Russia experts’ meeting on cooperation on the preservation of the ecosystem and its sustainable use in the neighboring areas of Japan and Russia was held on May 20 and 21 in Tokyo (Mita House). The Japanese delegation headed by Mr. Akira Muto, Director of the Russian Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, included other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Fisheries Agency and Hokkaido Prefectural Government, and also some specialists from academic circles. The Russian delegation was represented by Mr. Nail Latypov, Head of the Japan Division, Department of the Asia-Pacific region, and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ecology, and others.
The meeting was held, based on the agreement at the Japan-Russia Foreign Ministerial Meeting held on April 14 to hold an experts’ meeting concerning cooperation on the preservation of the ecosystem and its sustainable use in the areas of Japan and Russia at the end of May this year.
At the meeting both sides confirmed that the cooperation in preserving the ecosystem and its sustainable use in the neighboring areas of Japan and Russia including the Sea of Okhotsk would be beneficial to both sides. The experts of Japan and Russia had a discussion on the direction of concrete cooperation in these fields. Following the discussion, both sides agreed to accelerate the process of drafting an intergovernmental program that outlined the direction of the cooperation.

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