MOSCOW. April 25 (Interfax) - Russia and Japan are in talks over the signing of a nuclear cooperation agreement, a source in the Kremlin told Interfax ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's visit to Moscow, which starts on Friday.
"On March 20, 2008, Atomenergoprom and Japan's Toshiba signed a general framework agreement on business cooperation opening up opportunities for cooperation in promising areas such as uranium production and enrichment, nuclear engineering, and nuclear reprocessing," the source said.
Moscow and Tokyo are also preparing agreements on legal assistance in criminal cases and customs cooperation, and they are discussing future agreements, visa issues and cooperation in fighting fish poaching, the source said.
Soon experts will begin consultations in order to prepare a program of cooperation in environmental protection in the bordering areas between Russia and Japan, the Kremlin official said.
Russia and Japan are also discussing the possibility of building a high-speed railroad in Russia, the source said.
"There is an active dialogue on improving Russia's infrastructures and building speedy and high-speed railroads, including through the mechanisms of public-private partnership," the source said.
Japan can participate in the implementation of the Economic and Social Development of the Far East and Baikal Regions until 2013 federal target program, which includes large-scale projects, primarily regarding the modernization of infrastructure, he said.
"Japan has every chance of joining the program, given its proposed initiative in 2007 to strengthen cooperation in the Eastern Siberia and Far East regions," the Kremlin source said.