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Russian-Japanese Business Council chief says bilateral ties, confidence gaining momentum

Moscow and Tokyo are currently busy with preparations for the upcoming visit of the Russian president

TOKYO, October 4. /TASS/. Contacts between Russia and Japan, particularly between the businessmen, serve as testimony to the rise in mutual confidence seen over the recent years, Russian-Japanese Business Council chairman Alexei Repik told TASS.

"After the Council was set up (less than two years ago) we have been witnessing stepped-up activities, and confidence levels between the two countries has been growing," Repik said after the 13th Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, Japan. "Our bilateral relations, as well as the ties between companies first and foremost constitute the relations between people," Repik noted.

"I mean, the so-called chemistry in the relations between the countries has begun to emerge, that is connected, first of all, with the relations between the two countries’ leaders because the business community is in many ways guided by the state’s stance."

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"We see this chemistry in the relations between the businessmen," Repik noted. In his opinion, easing the visa regime could contribute to this process as it has already happened between Russia and South Korea. "It has facilitated growth in the tourist exchange, moreover, those Russian businessmen who hadn’t even thought about cooperation with South Korea, went there, looked around and found new technologies and new partners," Repik said adding that "the businessmen expect the foreign ministries to bring some changes to the visa regime and alleviate it."

In early September, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting in the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok during the Eastern Economic Forum. They agreed on enhancing the negotiation process and decided to meet once again in November in Peru at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. After that, in December, Russia’s president will visit Japan.

Moscow and Tokyo are currently busy with preparations for the upcoming visit of the Russian leader. In particular, Japan’s foreign minister is expected to visit Russia in October while in November a meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission for trade and economic affairs will be held in Japan’s capital of Tokyo. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov will take part in the meeting.

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