Japan, Russia Reaffirm Cooperation for N. Korea Denuclearization

August 1, 2018

Moscow- The Japanese and Russian governments reaffirmed their close cooperation toward the denuclearization of North Korea, at a meeting of their foreign and defense ministers in Moscow on Tuesday.

Prior to the meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, agreed to send a private-sector survey team to the Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Japan in Aug. 16-20, as part of a bilateral initiative to start joint economic activities there.

The so-called two-plus-two session, the third of its kind held between the two countries, was also attended by Japanese and Russian defense ministers Itsunori Onodera and Sergei Shoigu. The previous meeting was held in Tokyo in March 2017.

"We agreed to continue to cooperate for a common goal between Japan and Russia of denuclearizing North Korea," Kono told a joint press conference following the meeting.

Lavrov said the four participants welcomed the recent positive developments in the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

During the meeting, the Japanese side called for cool-headed behavior with regard to Russia's military buildup on the four disputed islands, which are called the Northern Territories in Japan and the South Kuril Islands in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Russian side expressed concern about Japan's planned introduction of the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system.

"We explained that the system won't pose a threat to Russia," Onodera said.

The Japanese and Russian ministers confirmed that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Vladimir Putin will hold a bilateral summit on the sidelines of an Eastern Economic Forum conference in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok in September. Jiji Press