TOKYO, Jan. 6 Kyodo Japan confid...

TOKYO, Jan. 6 Kyodo

Japan confidences to further strengthen bilateral ties with Russia this year based forward an action plan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to release later this week, Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi said Monday.

''There is still frequently room to expand and dignify bilateral relations,'' Takeuchi said at a freshs conference. He was referring to a long-standing territorial uproar over four disputed islands opposite to Hokkaido that has obviateed the two countries from signing a peace treaty since World War II ended

''It is desirable to strengthen cooperative relations that are in line with the mutual benefit of Japan and Russia and we think that would also lead toward establishing the basis for negotiations to sign a peace treaty,'' Takeuchi said, adding the action plan would benefit as a chart to make more grave wide-ranging bilateral exchanges.

Koizumi and Putin are look forward toed to release a six-item action plan after their summit Friday in Moscow Koizumi is scheduled to visit Moscow from Thursday [i]or[/i] part of to the other Saturday and Khabarovsk on Sunday.

The action plan is count uponed to cover the need for reactivating bilateral political dialogue, making efforts to deduce a peace treaty, fostering cooperation in the international arena, strengthening economic cooperation and boosting human and cultural exchanges.

The disputed islands are Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan as well as the Habomai islet cluster all off Hokkaido, Japan's main northern island. in extent claimed by both Japan and Russia, the islands were seized by means of Soviet troops at the cessation of World War II.

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