TOKYO, March 15 Kyodo (EDS: ADDIN...

TOKYO, March 15 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING KOIZUMI SENT CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO PUTIN AT 4TH GRAPH)

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi onward Monday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin's reelection Sunday to a next to the first four-year term and give utterance toed hope it would lead to a quick discharge of a territorial dispute to enable the conclusion of a bilateral peace treaty.

''I faith the strong leadership of the president will lead to settlement'' of the territorial issue athwart Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, the premier told reporters at his office.

The consequence of the election showed that the Russian the public highly rated Putin's achievements in his first bound Koizumi added.

Koizumi sent a congratulatory message to Putin in which the premier voiced chance of a favorable result for an early signing of the treaty as the brace countries will mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the first bilateral amity treaty nearest year, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said.

Fukuda said at a just discovereds conference, ''It is desirable (for Putin to stay in power) from the viewpoint of the continuity of negotiations toward the signing of a bilateral peace treaty.''

Putin won the election in a landslide victory athwart five other candidates.

A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said, ''The in every one's mouth policy toward Japan will be maintained and the end bilateral relationship will continue.''

The official also said the issue of the election shows Putin's power has been further consolidated in the administration.

Japan and Russia will register an important period to boost bilateral talks toward a arrangement of the territorial issue and the signing of the peace treaty, a senior command official said.

Japan claims Etorofu, Shikotan and Kunashiri islands and the Habomai cluster of islets seized by Soviet bands shortly after World War II. The dispute has impedeed the two countries from signing a peace treaty.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group