Japan joining US global anti-missile shield ‘directly affects’ Russia’s security interests : Lavrov

The deployment of US missile shield components in Japan directly affects Russia’s national security and regional interests, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo.

“Japan’s plans for deploying a global missile defense system directly affect [the] security interests of Russia,” Lavrov noted on his state visit, reiterating Moscow’s concerns over Tokyo’s intentions “to actively engage” in US plans to deploy missile defense components on its territory.

“With full respect for Japan’s right to choose the way it protects its territory, we proceed from the premise that any action of any country should be based on the rule of security indivisibility. No one must ensure their security by infringing on the security of others,” the top Russian diplomat added.

Moscow has long warned that the American Aegis missile-defense system, which Tokyo has decided to acquire, citing the growing North Korea threat, undermines the global balance of power and can eventually be aimed against Russia, because of the system’s potential dual-purpose capability.
 [RT]
21/3/18