Kremlin assures deployment of missiles on Kuril Islands will not harm talks with Japan

The deployment of missile systems in the Kuril Islands is well founded and it should not harm Russia’s talks with Tokyo, including those on concluding a peace treaty, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in the wake of media reports Russia had placed coastal missile systems Bastion and Bal on the Iturup and Kunashir islands.


"I advise you to address the question (about missile deployment) to our counterparts at the Defense Ministry. Certainly, it does have a reason," Peskov said.

"At the same time, in our view this should in no way harm the fast trends that there have developed in our relations with Tokyo in terms of thorough preparations for president Putin’s forthcoming visit to Japan and the continuing contacts over ways of advancing bilateral relations, in particular, in the economy, and from the standpoint of talks on problems related to a peace treaty," Peskov said.
 [tass.com]
23/11/16

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