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Japan-Russia Summit Meeting in Okinawa
(Provision translation)

July 23, 2000
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On July 23, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit meeting in Okinawa. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes. Its summary is as follows.

1. Kyushu-Okinawa Summit

1. At the outset Prime Minister Mori commented that President Putin made some very good remarks on various issues during the Summit and thanked him for his cooperation. Prime Minister Mori said that he was encouraged by the President's description of policies to promote economic reform, and was very pleased that the G8 as a whole confirmed its support for the President's reform efforts.
2. President Putin responded that he is truly grateful for the warm welcome he received from Okinawa Prefecture and its people and added he was deeply impressed by Japan's efforts to convene this Summit. President Putin noted this was his first Summit and was therefore a very important occasion, and he added that the success of the Summit was extremely significant for both Japan and Russia. He congratulated the Prime Minister on this success.

2. Japan-Russia Relations

1. The two leaders confirmed the schedule for President Putin's official visit to Japan from September 3 to 5.
2. Prime Minister Mori commented that during the visit in September, he hoped to exchange views about bilateral and international issues. Both governments are working hard to prepare for the visit, he said, adding that he is determined to ensure that the visit would be a success. Prime Minister Mori also said he hoped that the talks in September would provide an opportunity for frank discussion on difficult issues. He noted that while both sides had specific circumstances to consider, it was important that discussions be both frank and wide-ranging, and he expressed the hope of working together on a peace treaty by preserving the honor and dignity of both sides.
3. In response, President Putin said that what was important was the expansion of relations in all areas between the two countries. At the same time, difficult issues must be dealt with, rather than avoided, and there was a need to move forward squarely, carefully, consistently, and steadily, he said.
4. President Putin then touched on Japan-Russia relations in general, emphasizing that the development of Japan-Russia relations was essential and that cooperation in the Far East was especially important. He recognized that there were conditions that must be resolved by the Russian side and said he was determined to work toward the resolution of these issues.
   Prime Minister Mori referred to President Putin's discussion of the development of the Far East with the governor of the Russian Far East in Blagoveshchensk. He said that Japan was also interested in the development of the Russian Far East and would be very pleased if they could discuss approaches to Japan-Russia cooperation in this area during the President's visit to Japan.

3. International Issues

1. Prime Minister Mori indicated that President Putin's comments regarding his visit to North Korea were a very valuable contribution to the Summit, and his remarks that countries should not contain North Korea but open their windows, otherwise there would be no progress, were highly impressive. He said that until now four parties have been involved in discussions, however, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has entered a new phase, and he himself wondered if it would be possible to establish a framework that also included Japan and Russia. He asked President Putin whether there were any indications of this from North Korea or not.
   President Putin pointed out that the most important issue at present is the relationship between North and South, but at the same time, the relationships of Japan and Russia with North Korea would become increasingly important, and he believes that Japan commands a good position to play a major role.
2. Concerning reform of the United Nations Security Council, Prime Minister Mori said that Japan saw the U.N. Millennium Summit as an opportunity to build a big momentum in the debate over increasing the number of permanent and nonpermanent seats, and he would like to seek the President's understanding on this issue.
   President Putin responded by saying that Russia supported Japan's position in the U.N. and would continue to show full understanding for Japan's position on this issue. He pointed out that Russia supported the Japanese candidate for the post of UNESCO Director-General and promised to continue to cooperate with Japan.