"Japan traditionally buys the majority of oil and gas it needs from the Middle Eastern countries. We are concerned over this dependency… That's why it is very important for us to make sure there is a northern energy supply route, I mean from Russia. It is very important in terms of energy security for our country… I can confirm that we would like to significantly increase the volume [of LNG deliveries from Russia]," Hiroshige Seko told Russia's Rossiya-24 television.
He added that Tokyo and Moscow also discuss direct supplies of Russian electricity to Japan and prospects of a gas pipeline construction between the two nations.
In recent years, Russia and Japan have enhanced cooperation in a number of spheres, including energy. A number of agreements, including in the LNG-related issue, has been reached, such as memorandums of understanding singed by Russian energy company Novatek with Japan's Mitsui and Mitsubishi companies in December 2016.
