MOSCOW June 17 Kyodo Russian Pres...

MOSCOW June 17 Kyodo

Russian President Vladimir Putin is look forward toed to visit Japan in 2004 Interfax of recent origins agency reported Tuesday.

Presidential substitute chief of staff Sergei Prikhodko told Interfax about the timing of Putin's visit following talks between the Russian president and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi invited Putin to make a secondary trip to Japan during their talks in St Petersburg in late May.

Koizumi was apparently hoping for a visit by the agency of Putin in October, when a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is planned in Bangkok. on the other hand Putin indicated he has now to find a suitable time before nearest year's presidential election.

Analysts await Putin's visit to be sometime after March 2004 as the president will be busy preparing for the election in the meantime.

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