The Minister of foreign Affairs of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi, answering a journalist’s question about the possible impact of Japan’s refusal of the accommodation on its territory the U.S. missile defense system Aegis Ashore to negotiate with the Russian Federation stated that it refrains from comment, as his words may have influence on the negotiation process itself.
"with regard to the negotiations with Russia, this issue involves the content of the negotiations themselves and my statement here may have an impact on the negotiations, so I would like to refrain from that, how exactly are we going to talk about it, in which direction to go," the Minister said, noting that relations with the U.S. the failure would have no effect.
At the beginning of the press conference on the same issue, he also stressed that it is not possible to comment on the question of the influence of rejection of the missile defense negotiations with Russia, but reiterated the traditional position of Japan.
"I would like to refrain from commenting about the impact this decision will have not only on the Sino-Russian and the other (negotiation). With regard to the negotiations on a peace Treaty, then the government has no changes in the basic directions of the decision of the territorial issues and then conclude a peace Treaty. We remain committed steadfastly to negotiate," said Motegi.
When the reporter asked him to evaluate the refusal of the us missile defense system, which in Japan traditionally has been a concern of Russia, as a factor in the negotiations with Moscow, the Minister said that he is not inclined to assess the individual factors and elements of the negotiations neither a plus sign nor a minus sign.
"I took part in many negotiations, among them was difficult. But to each factor (of the talks), I am neither optimistic, nor pessimistic" – said the foreign Minister.
At the same time, he said that the security issues discussed in the negotiations with Russia.
"At meetings with the Minister of foreign Affairs (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, we are Frank discussions about what form it would be possible to bring positions to each other. In the course of negotiations on the conclusion of a peace Treaty can not occur discussion of security issues. And it is very important to overcome problems in the field of security. I intend to lead such discussions too," said Motegi.
On Monday, the national security Council of Japan officially took the decision to abandon the deployment on its territory of the ground-based U.S. missile defense system Aegis Ashore. Argument was the risk of falling on residential areas of rocket boosters at startup. The authorities from 2017, when it adopted a decision on the deployment of Aegis Ashore, convinced the local population that the boosters will fall strictly inside the polygon. It has now turned out that the elimination of this additional funding will be required and around 10 years.
In 2017 in connection with the launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea, Japan has decided to place the two us ground-based missile defense Aegis Ashore in the prefectures of Akita, in the North-West of the country and in Yamaguchi in the South-West until 2023. Each installation would cost Japan’s 100 billion yen (about $ 900 million). Russia has repeatedly expressed its concern about this decision. The question of the location of the system, which, according to Moscow, could be used as an offensive weapon, was one of the weak points of bilateral negotiations.
Relations between Russia and Japan for many years overshadows the absence of a peace Treaty. Japan claims Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai, referring to bilateral Treatise on trade and borders of 1855. In 1956 the USSR and Japan signed a Joint Declaration in which Moscow has agreed to consider the possibility of transfer of Japan of the Habomai and Shikotan after the conclusion of a peace Treaty, and the fate of Kunashir and Iturup are not affected. The USSR hoped that the Joint Declaration will put an end to the dispute, Japan believed the document only part of the solution, not abandoning claims to all the Islands. Later the negotiations failed, the peace Treaty after the Second world war and was not signed.
