Russia and Japan Discuss Cooperation Alternatives

The second Russo-Japanese Forum Common Ground: Business, Investment, Culture was recently concluded at the Moscow World Trade Centre. The event was attended by over 600 participants from Russia and Japan, with Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Mainichi Shimbun as organizers of the Forum.

The plenary session at the opening of the Forum was attended by State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. The Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Arkady Dvorkovich also had a separate meeting with the participants of the Forum.

In his speech, Sergei Naryshkin noted that Russia and Japan know how difficult it is to create an environment of trust and that even a temporary pause in cooperation can create numerous problems. The politician urged Japan and other countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia to distance themselves from Washington’s aggressive policies and prioritize their own national interests. In his opinion, business, cultural, and humanitarian projects in Russia and Japan will help “make up for the mistakes that politicians make.”

The Forum showed that the relationship between Russia and Japan boasts such a long and strong foundation that the aspirations of the peoples of the two countries to cooperate cannot be restricted by complications of the global political situation or by external pressure.

The Forum covered issues of bilateral relations in areas such as energy, natural resources and the environment, agriculture, urban development, technology and innovation, cultural, and sports exchanges. Deliberations took place in nine thematic sections and round tables, and more than 90 speakers were featured at the event.