ニュース 2013/02/04 Kaieda meets with Russian Ambassador On the afternoon of February 4, President Banri Kaieda met with Russian Ambassador Evgeny Vladimirovich Afanasiev at party headquarters. At the start of the meeting, Ambassador Afanasiev offered a New Year’s greeting and congratulated Kaieda on his assumption of the leadership of the DPJ. Kaieda responded by stating that “Following our defeat in the House of Representatives election in 2012, our party has become part of the opposition. However, we will proactively make proposals as an opposition party, drawing from our experiences during our three years and three months as the ruling party. We also understand the importance of further enhancing the relationship between Japan and Russia and we wish to continue to engage with the Russian Government on a party-to-party basis.” Ambassador Afanasiev and Kaieda then shared their views on a variety of issues, including bilateral exchanges and regional affairs. Chair of Administration Committee Koichi Takemasa, Director General of the International Department Yuji Fujimoto, and Director-General of Executive Office (of the party) Takeshi Shina also attended the meeting.