Japan FM hopes for expanding coop, mutual trust with Russia.

TOKYO, February 10 (Itar-Tass) - Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji
Maehara is looking forward to visiting winter Moscow, where he hopes at
talks with Russian ministers "to expand the range of cooperation," and
promote an atmosphere of "mutual trust between the two peoples." He made
this statement in an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass on the eve of his
trip to Russia.
"First of all let me say that I'm looking forward to this visit to
Moscow," said the minister. "It will take place in mid-winter when the
weather is very cold. But my Russian friends told me that Moscow is
especially beautiful this time of year. Also, I gladly hear that there is
a steady Japanese cuisine boom in the Russian capital. Last time I was in
your country three years ago. Now I want with my own eyes to carefully
look at the newest Moscow."
"I firmly believe," Maehara continued, "that in the new strategic
conditions, the development of cooperation between Japan and Russia as
partners in the Asia-Pacific region meets in the interests of both
countries. This visit aims at expanding the range of such cooperation, to
build the trust between nations needed for it. I intend to hold a meeting
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to deepen the discussion with
a view to strengthening cooperation in all spheres. In addition,
consultations on the development of economic cooperation are planned
within the framework of a meeting of the Japanese-Russian
intergovernmental commission on trade and economic issues. I'm its
Co-Chairman, together with Russia's Trade and Industry Minister Viktor
Khristenko.
The Japanese Foreign Minister leaves for Moscow by a special flight
Thursday evening and will arrive in the Russian capital on February 11-12.
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.Tokyo welcomes Russia integration in Asia-Pacific - Maehara.

TOKYO, February 10 (Itar-Tass) - The Japanese government welcomes
Russia's growing interest to the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) and is ready to
assist it in holding a Pacific summit in Vladivostok in 2012. Tokyo
believes that the integration of the Far East and Siberia into the Pacific
meets the interests of this vast region, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji
Maehara said in an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass on the eve of his
trip to Moscow on Thursday.
"Japan," he said, "welcomes the deepening of Russia's interest in
rapidly developing Asia-Pacific region. Promoting the integration of
Russia's Far East and Siberia into the Pacific through the
Japanese-Russian cooperation meets the interests of not only our two
countries, but also the whole region."
"If you look from Moscow, Japan is located far to the east," Maehara
continued. "And the Asia-Pacific region, where Japan is located, is
becoming the world economy centre. Russia is also an APR member. In 2012,
Russia will for the first time host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) summit in Vladivostok. It will be a significant step forward in
terms of Russia's contribution to the development of the APR. Japan is
also ready to assist in holding his event."
"There are also many other spheres with major potential for our
bilateral cooperation. They include a stable supply of energy resources
within the framework of the Sakhalin projects and through the Eastern
Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline, linking of Asia and Europe
through the development of land transportation routes with the use of the
Trans-Siberian railway, contributing to climate change and ecology issues.
Japan is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia in various
spheres," the minister stressed.
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.ISS 900-metre orbit adjustment made in automatic mode.

MOSCOW, February 10 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Mission Control Centre
(MCC) on Thursday made a second adjustment of the International Space
Station's (ISS) orbit to create favourable conditions for landing of the
crew of the first digital series Soyuz spacecraft.
The MCC told Itar-Tass that "the orbit adjustment operation passed
normally." The manoeuvre was conducted in an automatic mode with the help
of eight docking and orientation engines of the Progress M-07M cargo
spacecraft that is docked to the accessory bay of the Zvezda Service
Module.
The engines switched on joined at 00:37 MSK and worked for 263
seconds, the MCC specified. During this time, the average height of the
station's orbit, according to expert estimates, increased by some 0.9
kilometres and reached slightly over 352 kilometres. The average height is
a virtual value adopted by ballistics that represents an imaginary
circular orbit, the period of revolution of which around the Earth is
equal to the period of the station's revolution on a real elliptical
orbit, the MCC noted.
The orbit raising passed outside the zone of radio contact with the
Russian MCC, the telemetric data were transmitted to Korolev outside
Moscow through the US communications equipment. "Accurate data on the
orbital parameters will be known within a few hours after the trajectory
measurements," the MCC noted.
Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri, Oleg Skripochka, Dmitry
Kondratyev, American astronauts Scott Kelly, Catherine Coleman and Italian
astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who are currently on their orbital outpost
mission, had been warned in advance about the manoeuvre conducted on
command from the Earth. Since the participation of astronauts in orbit
correction operations is not needed, they were sleeping at that time.
The orbit of the station was raised in order to create optimal
conditions for landing of the Soyuz TMA-M spaceship, on which Kaleri,
Skripochka and Kelly will return to Earth on March 16. The previous ISS
orbit correction operation was carried out on January 13, the MCC recalled.
Orbit adjustment manoeuvres are usually made in order to bring the
station to the desired point for docking with cargo or manned spacecraft,
as well as to create conditions for landing. The ISS orbit is periodically
changed in order to avoid collision with space junk - small meteorites,
fragments of old satellites and spaceships. This happened, for instance,
on October 26 last year, when the Progress spacecraft docked to the
station had to quickly move the ISS away from the dangerous approach with
a space object.
The orbital complex orbit daily lowering is 150-200 metres.
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