日ロ、極東開発促進で合意　茂木氏「協力は着実に進展」

　【モスクワ時事】茂木敏充外相とロシアのオレシキン経済発展相は１８日、共同議長を務める「日ロ貿易経済政府間委員会」をモスクワ郊外で開催した。両氏は極東地域の開発を促進させることで一致。ロシア極東と日本の日本海側地域を一つの経済圏として、開発を進めることも確認した。
　茂木氏は委員会後の共同記者発表で、「２国間の協力は着実に進展し、両国間の往来が順調に推移している。このような傾向をさらに後押ししていくことで一致した」と語った。（2019/12/18-20:18）

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim Oreshkin agreed on Wednesday that the two countries will work to promote the development of Russia's Far East region.
   At a meeting of the Jpan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues, held in a Moscow suburb, the two sides also confirmed plans to develop the Far East and Japan's Sea of Japan areas as a single economic sphere. The meeting, the 15th of its kind, was co-chaired by the two ministers.
   At a joint press conference after the meeting, Motegi said that bilateral cooperation has been progressing steadily and that exchanges between the two nations have been smooth. The two sides agreed to boost such trends, he added.
   As specific items of future economic cooperation, Motegi cited efforts to improve productivity in Russia's agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, promote the use of the Trans-Siberian Railway and construct a base to reship liquefied natural gas on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
   The bilateral committee mainly focuses on an eight-point economic cooperation plan, including energy, that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016.