Russia, Japan to Sign 40 Deals at Eastern Economic Forum

VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) — Russia and Japan plan to sign a slew of intergovernmental and economic agreements at the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin said Thursday.

"Over the past year Russia and Japan signed over a hundred of commercial and inter-agency agreements. Some 40 more will be signed on the sidelines of this forum," Oreshkin said.

He said some of those arrangements would raise bilateral economic ties to a new level. "For instance, today we plan to sign a convention to avoid double taxation. It meets all modern international standards and will make it significantly easier for Russian companies to operate in the Japanese market and vice versa," the minister said.

Speaking at the forum, Japanese Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko confirmed his country’s plans for reaching new agreements with Russia. He said some of last year’s arrangements were already being implemented, including a license deal on producing tuberculosis drugs in Russia.

The two-day EEF started in Vladivostok on Wednesday, drawing over 3,500 participants from more than 50 countries. Several world leaders are attending, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korea’s Moon Jae-in, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is a general media partner of the forum.