Moscow-Sana
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned a representative of the Japanese embassy in Moscow to protest the organization of an exhibition on the Kuril Islands in Tokyo.
Russia Today website quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying in a statement today that the ministry summoned a representative of the Japanese embassy, as the Japanese side expressed strong protest against the opening of an exhibition in Tokyo dedicated to the South Kuril Islands, stressing Russia's sovereignty over these islands.
Zakharova indicated that "the concern was expressed to the Japanese diplomat regarding the launch of Japanese-American naval exercises in the Hokkaido region on December 6, and it was emphasized that their conduct in the area immediately close to the borders of the Russian Federation makes them a serious challenge and a potential threat to Russia's security in the Far East."
Zakharova concluded by saying, "The Russian side will continue to closely monitor such measures, which are behind Tokyo's stubborn reluctance to take practical steps to take into account Russian security concerns, including the Japanese territory's failure to embrace destabilizing military activity with the United States."
