Russia Says Missiles Not to Harm Talks with Japan

Moscow, Nov. 23 (Jiji Press)--The deployment of Russian missile systems on northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Japan should not harm peace treaty talks between the two countries, Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency quoted presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Wednesday. Peskov was quoted as saying that the Russian Defense Ministry has grounds for deploying the missile systems. But he added that the deployment should not influence the trends that exist in relations between Tokyo and Moscow, including preparations for a visit to Japan next month by Russian President Vladimir Putin, economic cooperation and the peace treaty talks. The comments came after Russian media reported Tuesday that Russia has placed the Bal and Bastion antiship missile systems on Kunashiri and Etorofu, two of the four islands that were seized from Japan by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Putin are scheduled to meet in the western Japan city of Nagato, part of Abe's constituency, on Dec. 15 to discuss ways of resolving the territorial dispute and concluding a bilateral peace treaty. The dispute prevents the two countries from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities. END