RF Deputy PM says trip to Kuris was not to annoy anyone

VLADIVOSTOK, May 16 (Itar-Tass) - The visit of Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Sergei Ivanov and a number of ministers and senior Russian
officials to the Kuril Islands was a working trip and was not intended to
"annoy anyone."
"The trip of my colleagues, ministers was not to annoy anyone or prove
something to anybody. To begin with, I'm on the Southern Kuriles for the
third or fourth time. Somehow, there had been no protest when I came here
before," Ivanov said, commenting on Japan's response to the visit of
Russian high-ranking officials on the island.
He clarified that the purpose of the trip was to check on the spot the
progress of fulfilment of the federal target programme adopted in 2007.
"It's not very costly, but a very important programme so that Russians who
live in the four South Kuril Islands not feel isolated from the rest of
Russia," said the RF deputy prime minister.
On Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto protested in
connection with the visit of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov
to the Southern Kuriles. He told this Russian Ambassador in Tokyo Mikhail
Bely who was summoned to the ministry for this purpose. "This hurts
feelings of our people and evokes regret," the minister said, in
particular.