TOKYO, September 6. /TASS/. Tokyo believes it is necessary to expand economic cooperation with Russia, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshige Seko, told a news conference on Tuesday.
"I want to promote cooperation in this sphere rapidly outlining the priority areas," said Seko who was recently appointed to the new post of the minister in charge of developing economic cooperation with Russia.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe endorsed the establishment of a new ministerial position for economic relations with Russia on September 1, a day before his visit to Vladivostok to the Eastern Economic Forum, appointing Seko to this post. "I decided to create a new post and appoint a minister who should be responsible for the Russian-Japanese economic cooperation," Abe said. "He will be working to develop economic cooperation with Russia. By doing so, I want to achieve significant and visible results," he noted.
At a meeting in Sochi on May 6, Abe presented Russian President Vladimir Putin an eight-point cooperation plan. It implies among other things the development of small and medium-sized businesses. The Japanese Foreign Ministry has told TASS that at the meeting in Vladivostok the premier spoke in detail about the implementation of this plan, noting that concrete work will be done on each of these points.
At the Eastern Economic Forum, Hiroshige Seko and Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev also signed a memorandum on creating a cooperation platform in the area of small and medium-sized enterprises.