Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Thursday that the Japanese leader will visit Russia either in December or January for talks aimed at reactivating bilateral dialogue, Japanese government officials said.
Koizumi and Putin, meeting in the Canadian Rockies resort of Kananaskis, Alberta, on the sidelines of a two-day Group of Eight summit, also agreed to create an action plan for promoting cooperative ties, to be issued when they meet in Russia.
The two leaders also decided to designate 2003 as Japan Year in Russia and agreed to hold events in St. Petersburg introducing Japan to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city, the officials said.
Koizumi also accepted Putin's invitation extended Wednesday to his G8 counterparts to visit St. Petersburg next May as part of the anniversary events in his hometown.