Moscow ready to resume two-plus-two format with Japan - Lavrov

MOSCOW, September 21./TASS/. Moscow is ready to resume the ‘two-plus-two’ format with Japan at the level of the defence and foreign ministers, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. "The process of multilateral dialogue on forming an open architecture of security in the Asia Pacific region was launched at out initiative within the framework of the mechanism of the so-called East Asia summits," the Russian foreign minister said. "Four rounds of such dialogue have already been held. Another round is due next year in China. We hope for Japan’s active participation, for its weighty contribution to efforts towards a generally acceptable result. I hope this process will yield such results." "We are open for bilateral consultations with our Japanese neighbours on the entire spectrum of security issues, including security in the Asia Pacific region, security in Northeast Asia," Lavrov said. "At a certain point, we set up a ‘two-plus-two’ format." "We are ready to resume the activity of this mechanism. I have felt that our Japanese colleagues don’t reject this idea," he added. Read more