The Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council held a meeting with Muneo Suzuki, a member of the House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan.
The meeting continued the tradition of informal interparliamentary dialogue, which the two sides maintain on a regular basis in the absence of full-scale interstate relations.
The Deputy Speaker noted that official contacts are currently effectively frozen. “Given the national interests of our countries, relations should, at the very least, not be tense, and ideally, they should be good-neighbourly,” he stated.
Konstantin Kosachev commended the consistent and constructive stance of Muneo Suzuki, who has long advocated for the normalisation of ties between Russia and Japan.
The discussion touched upon the 170th anniversary of the establishment of official bilateral relations and the history of interparliamentary cooperation. The parties noted that proven and effective mechanisms for dialogue, such as the Discussion Club, the Advisory Council, and the Council of Governors, have existed in the past.
“Russian parliamentarians are ready to resume a full-fledged dialogue with their Japanese colleagues,” emphasised Konstantin Kosachev.
For his part, Muneo Suzuki said that developing this relationship is crucial not only for the national interests of both countries but also for global security.