It's a project near and dear to Japan's heart. A multibillion dollar pipeline to pump oil across Siberia to the Pacific, where it can be easily shipped to meet energy-hungry Japan's ever-growing demand.
But in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had to settle for what has become a familiar response to Tokyo's pleas -- a definite maybe.
Koizumi, who arrived late Sunday to attend a two-day gathering of Pacific Rim leaders, made meeting Putin the first item of business.
Japanese delegation officials, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said Koizumi urged Putin to visit Japan as soon as possible after Russia's upcoming presidential elections, which are scheduled for March.
No date was set.
During the 45-minute talks, held on the sidelines of the APEC summit, Koizumi also stressed the need for the two nations to expand their trade and cultural exchanges in accordance with an action plan the two leaders signed a year ago.
Developing the energy resources of Siberia and the Russian Far East has been of key interest to Japanese officials, and Tokyo has long pushed for the pipeline, which would bring the oil to the Pacific port of Nakhodka where it could be available for shipping to Japan or South Korea.
Both leaders agreed yesterday that the project should be further considered, Japanese briefers said, and that they should cooperate toward developing Siberian oil fields. They agreed to discuss the matter further during a visit to Japan in mid-December by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.
The Pacific pipeline has been a hard sell for Japan.
Moscow is considering a rival plan backed by China that would involve first constructing a shorter pipeline to the northern interior of that country.
Japanese officials also acknowledge concerns linger over the feasibility of the Pacific route, noting possible problems in financing and questions over whether there is enough oil to make the pipeline profitable.
Still, Russia's struggling Far East could benefit greatly by improved economic ties with Japan.
But relations between the two countries have long been strained by deep-rooted historical enmity.
For years, Japan refused economic cooperation with Moscow because of a dispute over several small islands in the southern Kuril chain that were occupied by the Soviets just after World War II.
The dispute has kept the two from concluding a peace treaty formally ending the war.
Before arriving in Bangkok, Koizumi -- a strong advocate of closer relations with Moscow -- said he saw the pipeline and other joint projects as a means of creating an atmosphere of trust so that a peace treaty can eventually be signed.
"That is our primary goal," he said.
RSS