Japanese, Russian governors to promote local-level exchanges+

MOSCOW, May 2 Kyodo -
Japanese and Russian governors agreed Sunday that promoting exchanges between
local officials will help to develop relations between the two countries,
participants at the meeting said.
The conference in Moscow, the first of its kind in 13 years involving governors
from Japan and Russia, was the 15th overall and took place after the Russian
side proposed nearly a year ago that the meetings be resumed.
Fukuoka Gov. Wataru Aso, who heads the National Governors' Association,
Hokkaido Gov. Harumi Takahashi and five other prefectural governors represented
the Japanese side along with Tokyo Vice Gov. Kanji Murayama.
Aso said in an opening speech that future infrastructure projects in the
Russian Far East and Siberia will make local-level exchanges even more
important.
Russian participants included Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and Sakhalin Gov.
Alexander Khoroshavin.
==Kyodo