Duma calls "dead-end decision" Japan envoy's being called back from Moscow

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2/11 Tass 136

MOSCOW, November 2 (Itar-Tass) - The State Duma received the Japanese
side's response to the visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev of the
South Kurils with extreme regret and puzzlement.
"Tokyo's response, turning into the ambassador's being called back
from Moscow, is improper. This is a dead-end decision," first deputy
chairman of the Duma International Relations Committee Leonid Slutsky told
Itar-Tass.
According to the legislator, if Tokyo continued the dialogue with
Moscow in such a way, it will eventually only lose in the Kurils'
question. "I'm afraid that the common denominator in the sensitive
question on sovereignty over the Kuril islands will not be found soon as a
result of such improperly sharp moves in bilateral relations," the deputy
noted.
Slutsky also regrets that Japan did not hear signals from Moscow on
further development of bilateral relations. "Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov called the previous actions by the Japanese side
unacceptable, but he clearly intimated that Moscow will not take any
serious moves to aggravate relations with Tokyo. It's a pity that all this
fell on flat ears," said the committee first deputy chairman.
The lawmaker again emphasised that this response by Japan to the visit
by the Russian president of the Kuril Islands continues to provoke
complete incomprehension. "These territories belong to Russia according to
all norms of international law, and the president of this country has full
right to visit them without any agreements, the more so with other
states," he concluded.
Earlier, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said that the
Japanese government recalls for some time its ambassador to Russia
Masaharu Kono in order to hear him out in connection with Medvedev's trip
to the South Kurils on Monday.
On Monday, the Japanese government declared an official protest to
Russia in connection with this trip. However, it was resolutely rejected
by the Russian side. Lavrov called the Japanese protest unacceptable.
-0-bur/kud