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プーチン大統領来日・21日に日ロ首脳会談
ロシアのプーチン大統領は20日午後、羽田着の特別機で来日した。21日に小泉純一郎首相との日ロ首脳会談を開く。大統領の日本訪問は2000年9月以来、約5年ぶり。22日に天皇陛下と会見した後、帰国する。
日ロ両政府の事前調整で北方領土に関する共同声明(政治文書)は見送りとなることが固まっている。日本は「4島の帰属問題を解決して平和条約を締結する」などとする原則を確認して今後の交渉につなげたい考え。好調な経済を背景に領土問題で強硬姿勢をとる大統領がどう対応するかが焦点だ。
首脳会談では(1)ロシアの企業税制の運用改善など投資環境の整備(2)ロシアで働くための査証(ビザ)の審査期間短縮(3)退役ロシア原子力潜水艦の解体への支援(4)ロシアの世界貿易機関(WTO)加盟推進――など約10の合意を採択する見通しだ。
大統領には100人を超えるロシア財界人らが同行。21日午前には「日ロ経済協力フォーラム」で演説する。同日午後には民主党の前原誠司代表や森喜朗前首相とも会談する。 (19:15)
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/seiji/20051120AT1E2000G20112005.htmlKoizumi, Putin hold talks on island row, economic cooperation
TOKYO, Nov. 21 KYODO
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks in Tokyo on Monday, with a longstanding territorial row and security and economic cooperation measures expected to be high on the agenda.
Given that no tangible progress is expected on the territorial dispute over islands off Hokkaido, energy and economic cooperation issues, including a planned oil pipeline linking eastern Siberia with the Russian Far East, are likely to take center stage in Putin's talks with Koizumi and Japanese businesspeople during his three-day official visit from Sunday.
A breakthrough in the territorial row — which has prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty — is unlikely due to differences over ways to resolve the issue, which have resulted in a failure to arrange a new joint political statement that touches on the dispute.
The two sides had initially sought that such a new political document be signed between the two leaders during their talks in Tokyo.
Japanese officials have said they see no ''dramatic'' outcome with regard to the territorial issue from the planned two-hour meeting between Putin and Koizumi, but hope that the talks will pave the way for both nations to continue dialogue.
''It is important to confirm the political will of both countries to continue serious discussions toward concluding a peace treaty,'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said in a morning news conference.
In other areas, however, there are some brighter spots for the bilateral ties, mainly on the economic front.
Putin, who is making his first visit to Japan since September 2000, and Koizumi are poised to sign several documents on expanding cooperation on various matters, such as business and information technology.
Prior to his talks with Koizumi, Putin attended a forum Monday morning and a luncheon, both hosted by the Japan Business Federation, or Nippon Keidanren, Japan's biggest business lobby.
Apart from the territorial row, attention is focused on whether Japan and Russia can come up with a concrete agreement regarding the planned east Siberian oil pipeline, which Japan is hoping will have a Pacific-bound route.
Russia is seen as putting priority on building a branch pipeline to China from Skovorodino near the Russia-China border, which is the halfway point between the Siberian oil field and the port of Nakhodka on the Russian Pacific coast.
Japan has been asking Russia to ensure the Skovorodino-to-Nakhodka pipeline will be built so that Japan can have access to the Siberian oil, and it is arranging a meeting between Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai to discuss the issue.
Japan and Russia have long been at loggerheads over the sovereignty of Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group. The islands are known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the southern Kurils.
Japan has been demanding the return of all the islands, mainly citing the 1993 Tokyo Declaration, which urges the two governments to conclude a peace treaty through the solution of the territorial row.
Russia has recently been taking a tougher line on the issue. It wants to resolve the dispute in line with the 1956 Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration, which stipulates that Moscow would return Shikotan and the Habomai islets off Nemuro on the eastern tip of Hokkaido to Japan after the conclusion of a peace treaty.
The idea of joint development of the islands, either proposed by Japan or Russia, has floated in recent media reports, but Japanese officials believe this will not be taken up at the negotiating table.
Putin will pay a call on Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Tuesday before ending his visit.
==Kyodo
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=215099