RUSSIA

Q.

What is Japan doing to support reforms in Russia? Also, how is Japan cooperating with the United States?

A.

It is critically important for us to urge Russia not to retreat from but to maintain its reform policy. Like the United States, we will continue to support Russia's reform efforts as long as it stays on track of the reform policy.

Based on such recognition, we, in cooperation with other G7 countries, will urge Russia to sustain the reform policy. In this sense, the Moscow Summit on Nuclear Safety and Security scheduled after President Clinton's visit to Japan will present highly significant opportunity.

We have committed the sum total of more than US$ 4.4 billion in aid to Russia, making it the third largest donor after Germany and the United States. We are implementing the following aid programs; - Financing through the Export-Import Bank of Japan and underwriting trade insurance.

- Establishment and operation of the Japan Centers, which are dedicated to personnel training personnel resources that will contribute to Russia's transition to a market economy.

- Establishment of the Regional Venture Fund to nurture small-and medium-sized privatized enterprises in the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia.

- Provision of various types of humanitarian aid, including the provision of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.
(For more details, see the home page of the Japanese Cooperation Committee on Assistance to New Independent States: http://www.infoweb.or.jp/scc/).
Upon implementing those programs, we focus on those which would help Russia's own efforts to accomplish reforms, while placing particular emphasis on the Russian Far East, which is close to Japan.