The Federation Council Speaker read out the Russian President’s greetings to the participants at the Russian and Japanese Council of Governors meeting.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko opened the first meeting of the Russian and Japanese Council of Governors.
The Federation Council Speaker read out the greetings sent by President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
During her remarks Valentina Matvienko noted that Moscow was again the starting point for the Russian-Japanese movement along the road of mutually beneficial cooperation and genuine partnership.
She said that the first steps in the establishment of inter-regional interaction in our countries were made way back during the last century. “Currently, practically all constituent entities of the Russian Federation have established strong ties with their Japanese partners.”
The Speaker pointed out that a very representative group of Russian and Japanese regional leaders had got together in Moscow. “It shows how great an interest there is in the improvement of inter-regional ties on both sides.”
Valentina Matvienko believes that the present arrangements between the Russian regions and Japanese prefectures should be reviewed. “We need to follow the example of advanced regions,” she stressed, and expressed confidence that there are ample opportunities for this. “Each Russian region has unique competitive advantages that may be applied in international cooperation. The implementation of large-scale national projects, which began this year, will provide additional possibilities for cooperation with foreign partners,” she stated.
“Speedy economic growth in the Far Eastern regions has been and remains a most important field of Russia’s government policy,” underscored Valentina Matvienko.
She also noted that inter-regional ties may play a key role in fostering cooperation between small and medium-size businesses.
The Speaker called for moving away from the usual cooperation patterns and encouraging new unconventional formats of interaction involving leading researchers, universities and business circles to promote breakthrough ideas.
Meanwhile, according to Valentina Matvienko, such fields as culture, healthcare and the social sphere should not be overlooked.
“The Federation Council as the ‘chamber of regions’ will provide all-round support so that effective interaction can be created between constituent entities of the Russian Federation and Japanese prefectures. Together with our Japanese colleagues we will continue coordinating this work at the Advisory Council fon the Promotion of Russian-Japanese Interparliamentary and Interregional Cooperation as well as at other parliamentary institutions,” concluded Valentina Matvienko.
Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin noted that Moscow and Tokyo are facing many similar problems, which are being methodically resolved. “Every step of the way we should take into consideration the interests of the people,” he emphasised.
President of the Japanese National Governors' Association and Saitama Prefecture Governor Kiyoshi Ueda took the floor to return the greetings. He thanked the Speaker for arranging the Governors’ Council meeting. “The Governors’ Council is the level for developing interaction between the regions,” he said.
He noted that bilateral relations between the governments of the Russian and Japanese territories were developing.
Kiyoshi Ueda also mentioned the ties between the Russian regions and Japanese prefectures in the field of culture, sports and tourism. He expressed hope that the governors would have an unbiased exchange of views which would be in the interest of the Russian and Japanese people.