ST. PETERSBURG, May 25. /TASS/. Russia and Japan are reviving the Council of Governors, active in the Soviet times, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentia Matviyenko said in an interview with the National Media Group on Friday.

She said large-scale changes have been seen in bilateral relations over the recent years, which can be attributed to President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "Their personal contacts, when they discuss the agenda of Russia-Japan relations, discuss global problems, have become so regular that this has determined to a great extent major progress on all trajectories that we see," Valentina Matviyenko said.

"We suggested, and this has been supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to restart the activity of the Council of Governors. It was very efficient during the Soviet times," the speaker said.

She said work is underway to prepare a session of the council. Matviyenko also pointed that contacts of the governments and parliaments of Russia and Japan have become more frequent of late.

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