In his letter the President said that last year was unprecedented in terms of dynamic political dialogue at the highest level between the two countries. The contacts between the heads of state were candid and open, including a recent meeting in Irkutsk, which contributed to deeper understanding of each other’s positions and showed mutual desire to solve complicated problems.
Vladimir Putin emphasized Mr Yoshiro Mori’s personal achievement in “laying a solid basis for promoting Russian-Japanese relations in all directions.”
In conclusion, Mr Putin expressed hope that Mr Mori “as a highly respected politician of present-day Japan, will further contribute to the development of Russian-Japanese relations.”