On September 4, 2006, Andrei Belyaninov, Head of the FCS of the Russian Federation held a meeting with the delegation of representatives of Japanese business circles, headed by Osama Vatanabe, President of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

O. Vatanabe told of Japanese business circles, striving to expand their presence in the Russian market both in the region of delivery of goods and in setting of their production in Russia, including electronic equipment and motor vehicles. In particular, he spoke in favor of development of cooperation between Japanese businesses and Russian customs service with a view to follow-on development of customs procedures and betterment of investment climate in the Russian Federation. According to President of JETRO, one of the lines of approach to these problems is the activity of Japanese business-club, which has accumulated wide experience of cooperation with the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation. Japanese businesses have already glamorized meeting, held in the framework of this business-club with chief officers of the customs authorities of the Russian Federation.

In reference to the issues of volumes of trade between the two countries, A. Belyaninov pointed at existence of objective preconditions for their growth. For the purpose of facilitating of the process of accretion of bilateral commodity exchanges, the head of the customs agency proposed to conduct “roundtable” of representatives of Russian and Japanese business circles, taking advantage of opportunities of efficiently operating Expert council, attached to Head of the FCS of Russian Federation. According to A. Belyaninov, one of the issues, which could be placed on agenda of such a meeting, is protection of rights of intellectual property of Japanese possessors of trademark rights. As an optional tool of activation of operations between Japanese and Russian partners, change-over to Russian rubles can be implemented in the time of concluding of contracts. The Head of the FCS of the Russian Federation has acknowledged that even though the process of this change-over is no-nonsense and lingering, it is worthwhile to be initiated.

Based on the final results of the meeting, the parties expressed their intention to strengthen further mutually beneficial cooperation between the FCS of the Russian Federation and JETRO.