Russian lawmakers ready to develop inter-parliamentary ties with Japan

MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The Russian-Japanese dialogue should not depend on any external factors, Russian parliamentarians are ready to actively develop inter-parliamentary ties with Japan, head of the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation Vladimir Pligin (United Russia) said at a meeting with deputy chairman of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party Masahiko Komura on Monday. He noted that today’s meeting "opened the Russian-Japanese dialogue this year." "Taking into consideration the fact that you head the Society of Friendship with Russia in the Japanese parliament, this gives good start to the inter-parliamentary ties. We are ready to actively promote these ties," the lawmaker said. Pligin recalled that last year relations between the two countries "were developing quite unevenly, with the decline seen in the first half of the year that was triggered by external factors." "But in recent months the dialogue intensified, and at all levels at that. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held two meetings on the sidelines of international events," the lawmaker said. He noted that Russia attached great importance to developing relations with Japan. "We are confident that our cooperation has a great potential in various areas," he said. "Our cooperation should not depend on any external factors." Read more