Cablegate: Media Reaction - Russia - Tokyo

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P 230647Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3824
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INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 1200
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4763
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7117
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1673
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3182
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4348
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UNCLAS TOKYO 002304

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: MEDIA REACTION - RUSSIA - TOKYO

1. LEAD STORIES: Most Wednesday morning papers front-
paged the OIE classification of the US as a "controlled
risk country" for BSE.

2. "Russia Becoming More Distant from US and EU" The
business-oriented Nihon Keizai editorialized (5/23):
"Russia's relations with the US and EU continue to cool.
At their summit last week, Russian and EU leaders
exchanged recriminations over freedom of assembly and
other issues, and they were unable to adopt any accord.
Although Secretary of State Rice visited Russia earlier
last week, she was unable to bridge the gap with Russia
over the planned US deployment of a missile defense
system in Eastern Europe. Russian and Western leaders
have emphasized that they do not intend to start a new
Cold War. It is nonetheless clear that we have at present
a 'cold peace.'... Russia, backed by its thriving oil and
natural gas industries, has been growing economically and
regaining its political confidence, and these
developments help explain its strong stance toward other
countries. Although President Putin is scheduled to step
down next spring, it is unlikely that there will be any
fundamental changes to Russia's 'Putin-style' policy."

SCHIEFFER

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