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Japan interested in imports of natural resources from Russia’s Far East

Akira Shinoda said with regret that the air traffic between Niigata and Vladivostok and Khabarovsk is suspended

TOKYO, July 10 (Itar-Tass) - It is optimally profitable for Japan to buy the oil, the products of oil refining and natural gas in Russia’s Far East, Mayor of the Japanese port city Niigata Akira Shinoda, who will go on an official visit in Vladivostok on Wednesday, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

“The liquefied natural gas has been delivered to Niigata under the Sakhalin-2 project already for two years,” Shinoda recalled. “After the catastrophe on March 11, 2011, Russia immediately offered the energy support to us.” Niigata with pleasure “would import gas, oil and oil products from Vladivostok, which is situated so closely,” the Japanese mayor went on to say. “As we realize that the capability to implement such projects is large, in this respect, we are giving many signals to our government,” he noted.

Speaking on other trends of mutually beneficial cooperation, Shinoda recalled that “up to now Niigata has bought actively the timber in Siberia and the Far East.” However, due to different restrictions on the exports and imports of this produce, the cooperation in this sphere is gradually becoming less intensive. Therefore, in the view of the Niigata mayor, “the time is high to give a fresh impetus to economic cooperation” with these Russian regions. He named Niigata’s supplies of fruit, berries and flowers to Russia as examples. “We have delivered 120,000 tulips for the Far East by March 8,” Shinoda said, noting that it is more profitable for Russia to buy the flowers from Japan for the Far East than from the Netherlands.

Akira Shinoda said with regret that the air traffic between Niigata and Vladivostok and Khabarovsk is suspended. “But if we succeed to resume it, it would influence positively the flow of tourists in both directions,” the mayor noted.

In his words, Niigata wants to establish supplies of rice, fish and alcohol drinks not only to the Russian Far East, but also to Russian central regions in the future. “We will be glad if thanks to us the Russians will taste original Japanese sushi and will discover for themselves a true culture of our national cuisine,” Shinoda underlined.

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