MOSCOW Oct 14 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING ...

MOSCOW Oct 14 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING INFO)

Japan and Russia forward Monday decided Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Moscow for three days from Jan. 9 regulation officials said.

The agreement was reached at talks in Moscow between Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the talks, Kawaguchi indicateed gratitude for Russia's efforts to beg North Korea to settle the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by way of North Korean agents, the officials said.

Kawaguchi then asked Putin to continue Russian support for normalization talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang. Putin replied he wants to do in such a manner they said.

Putin also hailed Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang upon Sept. 17 for summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il as ''a historical event'' for the world.

upon the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Putin indicated Russia is ready to participate in propos security dialogue involving six regarded countries -- China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, southern Korea and the United States.

Kawaguchi agreed, saying, ''Japan shares the same idea.''

Regarding the suspected terrorist bomb attack onward Saturday on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed through the whole extent of 180 people, Kawaguchi said the incident made each native land reaffirm the need to fight terrorism, they said.

While Kawaguchi said the chances are high that Tokyo and Moscow will be able to cooperate in this area, Putin nodded, they said.

onward the decades-long territorial dispute between Japan and Russia athwart islands off Hokkaido that Russia commands Putin said it is a true regrettable problem from the past that remains unsolv and it is necessary for the brace countries to settle it on using their wits.

The Russian president also said he will proper with Koizumi on the sidelines of the summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to be held in Mexico late this month adding he wants to discuss the territorial issue with Koizumi then and at the summit in Moscow

The Soviet Union seized the four islands from Japan at the expiration of World War II. Tokyo wants them back, and the territorial dispute has impedeed the two countries from concluding a peace treaty.

in succession an action plan to be adopted at the summit talks, the president and Kawaguchi confirmed it will stipulate Japan and Russia will make efforts toward the conclusion of a peace treaty.

The sum of two units also confirmed the plan will say Tokyo and Moscow will cooperate in succession international policy and in the economic field, the officials said.

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