VZCZCXRO3231
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3054 1860306
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050306Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5188
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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UNCLAS TOKYO 003054
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - BUSH-PUTIN MEETING
LEAD STORIES: Thursday morning's Tokyo Shimbun front-
paged a report from Moscow quoting Russian chief
delegate to the six-party talks Losyukov as hinting at
a possible resumption of the talks next week.
1. "US, Russia Must Continue Efforts to Bridge Gap" The
business-oriented Nihon Keizai editorialized (7/4):
"Presidents Bush and Putin met at a time when US-Russia
relations are at a post-Cold War low. It appears that
the two leaders were able to repair their personal
relationship of trust after a frank exchange of
opinions at a Bush family villa. The talks, however,
did not change the fundamental structure of the
confrontation between the two countries over missile
defense. The US and Russia must continue efforts to
bridge the gap so as not to revive the US-Soviet arms
race of the Cold War era...."
2. "A Time for Cooperation Rather Than Confrontation"
An editorial in the conservative Sankei commented
(7/4): "...Although Presidents Bush and Putin were not
able to bridge their gap over US plans to install
missile-defense facilities in Eastern Europe, they
agreed to broaden their dialogue to at least prevent
bilateral relations from worsening. Nonetheless, it
would be premature to predict that the US and Russia
will be able to revive their previously cooperative
relationship. The two countries must first make efforts
to foster relations of trust based on dialogue.... It
has been nearly 18 years since the end of the Cold War,
and Russia is no longer the presumed enemy of NATO. The
NATO-Russia Council was established in 2002, bringing
Moscow partially into NATO's decision-making process.
The direction [of relations between Russia and the
West] should not be changed. There are a great many
issues that require US-Russian cooperation, and a means
must be devised to keep Russia involved."
SCHIEFFER