Japan is concerned over Russia's plans to deploy missiles on a group of disputed islands, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said on Wednesday.
Russian media quoted on Tuesday a high-ranking representative of Russia's General Staff as saying that Russia was planning to deploy Bastion missile systems with Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles on the disputed South Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan.
"This is very regrettable," Edano told journalists in Tokyo. He added that Japan was following closely the "trends of Russia's military activities in the Far East."
Russia's move comes as part of government plans to modernize armed forces in the country's Far East. The decision was taken after the long-standing territorial dispute between the countries escalated in November last year following a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to one of the four South Kuril Islands.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan criticized Medvedev's trip as "inexcusable rudeness," sparking an angry reaction from the Kremlin.
Earlier on Wednesday, Edano called for a more active political dialogue with Russia and warned against any arms race in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan's continued claim over the four Kuril Islands has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a formal peace treaty to end World War II hostilities. Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai lie at the end of a chain stretching from Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
TOKYO, March 2 (RIA Novosti)
