In opening the talks, Mr Putin said that for the forthcoming visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to Russia in January 2003, the two countries’ specialists were drafting a major document, a plan of actions, which would serve as the basis for long-term Moscow-Tokyo interaction.
Yoriko Kawaguchi thanked Mr Putin on behalf of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for the help in organising his visit to North Korea. President Putin noted that Russia was ready to offer assistance for a settlement on the Korean Peninsula. He called the talks a historical event not only for Asia but for the world.