Heads of Security Council of Russia and Japan discuss bilateral relations - Japanese chief cabinet secretary

TOKYO, September 24. /TASS/. Heads of Security Council of Russia and Japan have discussed a wide range of issues at the meeting in Tokyo, including bilateral relations and international situation, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference on Thursday. "The meeting has taken place today between Japan’s National Security Council Secretary Shotaro Yachi and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev. The sides exchanged opinion on general issues of Japanese-Russian relations, problems of ensuring security, and discussed the current international situation," he said refusing to provide any details about the meeting. Patrushev arrived in the Japanese capital with an official visit on September 22. His last visit to Japan took place in October 2012 when the sides signed a memorandum on developing bilateral relations in the sphere of security. Heads of Security Councils of Russia and Japan have expressed concern over Washington’s plans to station nuclear weapons abroad, including in Europe, Patrushev’s spokesperson Yevgeny Anoshin told TASS earlier on Thursday. "The fourth round of bilateral Russian-Japanese consultations on security issues took place in Tokyo. Nikolay Patrushev and Secretary of Japan’s National Security Council Shotaro Yachi discussed different aspects of regional and international security and exchanged opinions on key aspects of Russian-Japanese relations," Anoshin said. "The officials, in particular, expressed concern over US’ plans to station nuclear weapons abroad, including in Europe," the spokesperson stressed. "The sides noted that consistent contact in the framework of security councils of the two countries is a key element in the issue of strengthening trust between Russia and Japan, and also plays an important role for ensuring security in the Asia-Pacific in general," he added. Regular contacts between Russia’s Security Council and Japan’s National Security Council have been maintained since 2012. Read more