Japan, Russia Set To Expand Defence Ties

Japan-Russia

Japan and Russia have held their first high-level defence and diplomatic talks and agreed to step up cooperation between their militaries amid regional security concerns such as North Korea and China.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, and their Russian counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu also agreed on Saturday to hold joint military and anti-piracy exercises and establish a defence consultation framework. Their countries’ defence ties are geared up toward peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and would not affect existing alliances, including one between Japan and the US, they said.

Lavrov told a news conference after Saturday’s talks that upgrading defence ties between the two countries could serve their national interests in resolving terrorism and North Korea’s nuclear threats, as well as other regional disputes. He welcomed the talks as a landmark development for Russia and Japan, and said that this new cooperation would not interfere with the Japan-US alliance.

Kishida also said that Japan’s alliance with Washington remains “the cornerstone” of Tokyo’s foreign and security policy.

Earlier Friday, Japan and Russia agreed to continue discussing a territorial dispute that has kept the nations from signing a peace treaty.

“We need to act constructively. We should not be emotional, and avoid provocative remarks,” Lavrov said in Friday’s news conference.

The diplomats also agreed to hold vice-ministerial talks in late January or February, ahead of Kishida’s planned visit to Russia in the spring.