Russia monitors Japan's accelerated remilitarization, warns of harmful policy

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. Russia is closely monitoring Japan's accelerated remilitarization efforts and will continue to emphasize the harmfulness of Tokyo's policy, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"We are indeed closely monitoring Japan's accelerated remilitarization efforts. This includes the expansion of its military-technical cooperation and training activities with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. We are seeing targeted steps to forge narrow-bloc quasi-alliances that are anti-Chinese and anti-Russian in nature. The emergence of these blocs merely fans regional tensions and creates conflict potential where none existed, or provides opportunities to fuel existing contradictions," she noted.

"All this, of course, undermines efforts to ensure sustainable peace, security, and development in Asia. Therefore, we will continue to use diplomatic channels and to publicly urge Tokyo to realize the harmfulness of this policy," Zakharova emphasized. "It's not Russia that has bad relations with Japan. It's Japan, under pressure from the United States, that is taking steps that are destroying bilateral relations. These are two different things. We haven't damaged relations with Japan. We have always been open to normal, constructive dialogue," Zakharova said.

Russia has never denied Japanese public figures, journalists, tourists, and businesspeople visits or permits to stay in the country, she noted. "But we are aware that Tokyo is under enormous pressure, and given that, unfortunately, Japan does not have full sovereignty in decision-making, which explains why they are taking this position," Zakharova stated.

TASS is the general information partner of the SPIEF.