Japan to back Russia's bid to join WTO

A quick scan of the news tells us today that the US is backing Russia's plan to enrich Iran's uranium. However, the Iranian's still haven't accepted that proposal. Meanwhile, the Russian Duma on Saturday expressed support for cooperation with Iran in all fields, particularly in peaceful nuclear activities, despite Iran's stance that they have an indisputable right to enrich uranium.

Now clearly we're in one of those complex binds. Russians are our "friends" yet they a partners with the "enemy." However, even our most important allies are working the Russians so where exactly does that leave us with Iran and other rogue regimes? This is why I've backed away from the hawkish rhetoric. It's all simply more complicated than just bombing people into submission. We're too solidly interconnected now and the "sides" are not so evenly split or loyal.

TOKYO Japan agreed Monday to back Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization, as leaders of the two countries promised to work toward resolving a territorial dispute that has hampered relations for 60 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also agreed on a joint program to combat terrorism and cooperate in energy, communications and tourism.

Their summit focused largely on economic ties, which the leaders said would help pave the way toward progress in the dispute over four tiny, sparsely populated islands that has prevented the nations from signing a World War II peace treaty.

The islets in the Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized by Soviet troops in the closing days of the conflict. Control over the islands, which are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and also speculated to have natural gas deposits, has since become a hot political and nationalistic issue on both sides.

''We will further deepen our economic cooperation to strengthen mutual confidence, so that in the future we can sign a peace treaty,'' Koizumi said at a joint news conference with Putin.

Putin said he was ''fully determined to work in that direction to solve all the issues we face.''

Putin, who arrived in Japan on Sunday for a three-day visit, said stronger economic relations between Russia and Japan will help improve overall ties between the countries, which remain strained by the territorial dispute.

Putin will return home with Japan's blessing for its WTO bid. Russia, which has to strike separate deals with WTO members as a condition for joining the 148-member global trade body, has launched economic and legal reforms in order to qualify for the membership. It has yet to negotiate a deal with the United States.

''Russia's accession into this organization will help strengthen trade ties with Japan and make them more stable,'' Putin said.
Putin also encouraged Japan companies to invest more in Russia, noting that Japan accounts for only 1 percent of accumulated foreign investment in his country.

Putin said also Monday that Russia remains committed to building an oil pipeline to the Pacific Ocean that would deliver Siberian crude to Japan and other nations in the region. More