About from all sides

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, visited Tokyo with a working visit “The deployment of the Japanese missile defense system does not imply a threat from Russia and will not be directed against it,” Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister Masakhiko Komura, assured yesterday. He also denied the assumption that Japan is striving to create a military alliance with the United States and Australia. "Japan, the USA and Australia have common interests in the Asia -Pacific region and on this basis are strategic dialogue," the Japanese minister said.

The one -day visit of Sergei Lavrov to Tokyo took place as part of the APEC summit in the Sydney Sydney summit, the purpose of which is the intensification of cooperation between countries to conclude a peace treaty. Recall that territorial disputes interfere with the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan.

Recently, bilateral relations have become complicated due to the intention of Japan to begin the construction of missile defense facilities. According to available information, until 2011, Japan intends to place about 30 PK-3 modification of PAK-3 on its territory, as well as adopt four destroyers with a multi-purpose system of tracking and guidance "Ijis". Presumably after 2011, this missile defense can be integrated into the US system.

On October 14, in an interview with the Japanese agency Kyodo Tsusin, Sergei Lavrov said that the deployment of such systems can spur the arms race on a regional and global scale.

Yesterday, Masahiko Komura said that the deployment of the country's security with the requirements of the country's security. According to him, Japan is not going to change its constitutional principles and will continue to comply with the principle of passive defense.

Sergei Lavrov began his one -day visit to the Japanese capital by visiting the largest Orthodox church of the Japanese capital - the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, where he talked with Metropolitan Tokyo and All Japan Daniel. Supporters of ultra -right groups arranged a mobile rally at the walls of the cathedral. Demanding through loudspeakers to return the northern territories (southern Kuril Islands), they went around the temple by bus.

On the eve of the meeting, the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry recalled that "the resolution of the territorial issue is a condition for signing a peace treaty, which is the main component of a joint plan of action (developed by countries in 2003. -" newspaper ")."

At the end of the meeting, Sergei Lavrov said that the decision of the peace treaty should only be mutually acceptable, and this implies the joint mutual affordable work of the two countries. According to ministers, the expansion of cooperation between countries at all levels can accelerate the conclusion of peace.

The parties discussed issues of mutual legal assistance in criminal cases, the fight against poaching and smuggling, simplifying the visa regime. Nuclear programs of the DPRK and Iran were also discussed. As a result of the meeting, Deputy Russian Minister Alexander Losyukov said that experts from Russia will not take part in the deactivation of the North Korean nuclear reactor in Yonben.

The Russian-Japanese dialogue will be continued. On November 5, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Naryshkin will visit Japan on December 6, a meeting on a strategic dialogue between Russia and Japan at the level of the first deputy heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planned.

Today, Sergei Lavrov will continue his Asian tour, within the framework of which he will hold negotiations in Harbin with Foreign Ministers of China and India.

10/23/2007 / Polina Khimshiashvili, the material was published in the newspaper No. 199 dated 10.24.2007.