Akita Officials Visit Vladivostok to Discuss Prospects for Cooperation

VLADIVOSTOK. September 2. VOSTOK-MEDIA – First Deputy Mayor of Vladivostok Natalya Voynovskaya has held a formal meeting earlier today with the recently arrived delegation of Akita prefecture officials led by Governor Horihisa Satake.

The Japanese delegation included the Akita prefecture officials, lawmakers, media representatives, Japanese CG in Vladivostok Yamada Jun, Vladivostok Administration said in a statement.

On the Russian side, the meeting was attended by deputy head of the Vladivostok Administration Ekaterina Khimich and the head of the Department for International Relations and Tourism Vitaly Eryomenko.

Horihisa Satake is a very influential political figure in Japan, who has held public offices for forty years now. Two-time mayor of Akita – the capital city of the eponymous prefecture, Horihisa Satake headed Japan Association of City Mayors. He was appointed Governor of Akita in April of last year. The Governor is an ardent promoter of the all-round friendly ties with Vladivostok.

Following a June 1992 agreement, the city of Akita became one of the first sister-cities of Vladivostok. The Akita delegation that took part in the festivities to mark 150-Anniversary of Vladivostok earlier this year by far outnumbered the other countries’ delegations.

The participants in the meeting shared their plans on further development of the mutually beneficial relations. Natalya Voynovskaya greeted the foreign officials on behalf of the Mayor of Vladivostok Igor Pushkaryov and wished them to achieve the goals of their visit’s agenda. She gave a high priority to tourism in the bilateral cooperation and asked the Japanese officials their opinion on the prospects of Vladivostok as a hub for the international cooperation in the Pacific Rim.

Horihisa Satake said the Akita officials had arrived yesterday on board the cruise ship Asuka II and had plenty of time to walk about the city together with other tourists from the cruiser and see what a beautiful place it is and how rapidly it is growing. He expressed confidence that the upcoming APEC forum will provide further impetus for the deepening of the friendly ties between the capital city of Primorye and the Pacific Rim, including Akita.