The leaders of Russia and Japan stated their commitment to developing a dialogue based on trust between the two countries. One of the main subjects under discussion was the Kuril Islands.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on the outcome of the meeting and said that Dmitry Medvedev proposed that the two states change their approach to the peace agreement issue by giving priority to economic cooperation. However, President Medvedev stressed that the Kuril Islands are and will remain the territory of the Russian Federation.
Sergei Lavrov also said that Dmitry Medvedev invited Naoto Kan to visit any Russian region, including the Far East, and the Japanese Prime Minister accepted the invitation.
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Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan (retranslated): Mr President, as you pointed out, the Asia-Pacific region is the centre of global economic development. The region has the highest economic growth rate in the world.
I would like to deepen the friendly relations based on partnership and trust between Japan and Russia and will make every effort to achieve this aim. This is our second meeting and I hope that today’s talks will mark the beginning of a full-scale dialogue between us based on mutual trust.
President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Prime Minister, first of all, I would like to thank you once again for the excellent organisation of the APEC Summit. This is indeed our second meeting and I hope that during these talks and in the course of other contacts we will lay the foundation for a dialogue based on trust between our states.