During the discussion, Mr Putin and Mr Koizumi discussed North Korea’s nuclear programme and said they were unanimously in favour of continuing six-sided talks. Mr Putin stressed that Russia will do everything to convince North Korea partners to continue talks in this format.
There was also discussion of Mr Putin possibly taking part in a ceremony of laying the first stone of a factory which the Japanese concern Toyota plans to build in the Leningrad Region. The Japanese side plans to start construction in summer.
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Japan at the end of May. Vladimir Putin and Junichiro Koizumi agreed on this during their meeting. One of the items of discussion for the Russian minister will be possible terms of a visit by Mr Putin to Japan.
Mr Koizumi thanked Mr Putin for his message on the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.