President Vladimir Putin: Dear Mr Mori,
Dear colleagues,
I am very happy to have this opportunity to meet with you.
I know that the association you head is involved in supporting diverse contacts, including inter-parliamentary contacts with Russia, and that it has its own history and works very hard and actively.
You personally also make a considerable contribution to the work of the [Russian-Japanese] Council of Wise Men in finding mutually acceptable solutions to existing issues and in looking for new areas and directions for cooperation between our two countries. Your work in both these areas is very much needed and we will support it in every way we can.
Yoshiro Mori: This year we are celebrating 150 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, and it is in this anniversary year that you have finally come to visit us. We are very happy on this occasion.