Tokyo: Moscow is closely monitoring the development and deployment of missiles in Asia, Russia s foreign minister said today, adding that such moves create a confrontational atmosphere and should not be pursued.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not single out any specific country, but his remarks come as Japan is developing its ballistic missile defences in coordination with the United States. Russia has strongly criticised similar efforts in Europe.
"We in Russia follow closely the development of missiles in the region," Lavrov told a gathering of businessmen and diplomats in Tokyo.
"It is mandatory to do away with confrontational attitudes," he said. "One cannot ensure one s own security by threatening the security of others."
Russia has strongly opposed US plans for a missile-defence system based in Poland and the Czech Republic, former Soviet satellites now in NATO.
Japan, meanwhile, has moved ahead with plans to develop a missile shield to protect its capital from attack, and has backed the deployment of Patriot missiles at a US military base on the southern island of Okinawa.
Japan has stepped up its missile defence plans because of concerns the country and the roughly 50,000 US troops deployed throughout the islands are well within range of North Korean missiles.
