TOKYO, November 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Japan signed a set of 18 documents following talks between the Russian president and Japanese prime minister in Tokyo Monday.
The documents cover a wide range of issues, including cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts, energy, tourism and law and order.
Vladimir Putin and Junichiro Koizumi signed a protocol concluding bilateral negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO. Russia still has to conclude bilateral talks on the WTO accession with seven countries, including the United States, Canada, Switzerland and Australia.
The two leaders also signed an action plan on cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
"The sides deny any attempts to associate terrorism with any religion, nationality, race or culture and stress the necessity for dialog and understanding between cultures and civilizations," the document said.
Russia and Japan have agreed to cooperate in the prevention of terrorist acts, to continue information sharing on terrorist threats and to develop bilateral cooperation against terrorist financing, terrorism-related crimes and on the extradition of those involved in terrorist activities.
Putin and Koizumi also signed a memorandum on measures to alleviate the impact of large-scale natural disasters. Under the document, Russia and Japan would exchange information and experience in predicting and dealing with the effects of large-scale disasters, including an early warning system for earthquakes and tidal waves.
Both countries pledged to promote the creation of a global warning system, with joint access to information on natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region and other countries.
Russia and Japan signed cooperation agreements on the exploration and development of oil, natural gas and coal deposits and their transportation and processing systems.
"The sides will consider attracting Japanese companies to participate in developing oil resources in Russia together with Russian companies," the documents said.
Russia and Japan intend to ensure conditions to successfully implement the Sakhalin I and Sakhalin II projects, as well as corresponding production sharing agreements.
"Particularly, liquefied natural gas supplies to Japan will begin under the Sakhalin II project, and by 2008, the supplies will amount to one third of overall gas production," Putin said.
Under the framework agreement on cooperation in the natural gas sector, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy are expected to set up a committee to coordinate activities. The agreement stipulates that the parties should look into the possibility of opening natural gas processing and gas chemical facilities and launching the deliveries of Russian natural gas, oil and derivatives, including GTL products, to Japan.
"The parties are studying the possibility of opening these facilities, which would use Japanese technology and investment to be ensured by the agency," Gazprom said.
Russia and Japan also signed an inter-governmental memorandum on easing visa regulations. The memorandum proposes measures to simplify the visa regime for businessmen providing multi-entry visas valid up to three years, to ease visa regulations for tourists and journalists and to issue visas based on direct applications by host organizations bypassing the requirement for official visa invitations. The countries may also relax the procedures for applicants taking part in bilateral exchanges through educational, scientific, cultural, youth and sports organizations.
Putin also said Russia and Japan were prepared to continue their dialog toward concluding a peace treaty that would put a formal end to World War II. He said the process was "unlikely to be easy," but noted the countries were ready to make compromises. Koizumi said Russia and Japan would work to end their differences.
The treaty has not been signed because of a dispute centering around four of the Kuril Islands off Russia's far-eastern coast. Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent years due to the argument over the issue, as Japan claims sovereignty over the four islands, which became part of the Soviet Union after World War II. The issue remains unresolved and has prevented the signing of a peace treaty to formally end the state of war between the two countries.
