Japan-Russia Relations

This Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues ("Intergovernmental Committee") is the only forum for comprehensive talks in which all kinds of issues pertaining to Japan-Russia economic relations are discussed at the ministerial level, that is, between the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation (later the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation).

To facilitate the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries, the Intergovernmental Committee plays the following major roles:

• Analyzing and evaluating the current state of bilateral trade and economic relations
• Removing impediments to the development of bilateral trade and economic relations and improving conditions for such development, including the trade and investment environment
• Developing bilateral trade and economic relations based on the principle of reciprocity
• Assisting reforms in Russia
• Reviewing global economic issues
• Encouraging regional cooperation and exchanges of business organizations between the two countries
• Reporting on the activities of subcommittees

1. (a) Based on the July 1995 agreement mentioned below, the Intergovernmental Committee set up three subcommittees on (i) removing impediments to bilateral trade and economic relations; (ii) supporting reforms in Russia; and (iii) economic relations with Far East Russia. Each subcommittee was chaired by a deputy director or equivalent.
2. (b) At the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee, in November 2000, both sides agreed to integrate the first and second subcommittees into one Trade and Investment Subcommittee. The third subcommittee was renamed the Far East Subcommittee.
3. (c) In February 2007, the Far East Subcommittee was reorganized and named the Subcommittee on Region-to-Region Cooperation.
4. (d) In April 2008, both sides agreed to upgrade the Subcommittee on Region-to-Region Cooperation to a vice-ministerial forum to follow up on "the Initiative for the Strengthening Japan-Russia Cooperation in the Far East Russia and Eastern Siberia".
5. (e) In December 2009, both sides agreed to upgrade the Trade and Investment Subcommittee to a vice-ministerial forum to follow up on large-scale cooperation projects in Far East Russia and East Siberia.

1. (1) In November 1994, then Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets and then Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono signed a memorandum on the establishment of a committee to be co-chaired by state ministers of both countries as a forum to discuss trade and economic issues.
2. (2) In July 1995, a Japan-Russia vice-ministerial meeting on trade and economic issues was held in Tokyo. Then Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Tadayuki Hayashi and then Russian First Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Relations (now called the "Ministry of Economic Development") Mikhail Efimovich Fradkov signed a memorandum on the activities of the Japan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues.
3. (3) In March 1996, the first meeting of the Japan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues ("Intergovernmental Committee") was held in Moscow, attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda and Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets.