Tokyo, 21 June, /AJMEDIA/
The Japanese government on Thursday expressed their concern over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion during his recent landmark visit to Pyongyang that military technology cooperation with North Korea will be deepened.
“We are seriously concerned (about Putin’s remarks) in terms of their possible impact on the regional security environment surrounding our nation,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference.
Putin said after his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Russia “does not rule out developing military and technical cooperation” with North Korea under the strategic partnership treaty signed Wednesday, noting that the deal also contemplates “mutual assistance in the event of aggression” against either country.
The growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has been a source of concern to Japan and its ally the United States, especially amid Russia’s prolonged war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Russia has procured ballistic missiles and ammunition from North Korea and used them against Ukraine, while Pyongyang, in return for its support to Moscow, is believed to be seeking assistance from Moscow to advance its own military capabilities.
Hayashi said Russia’s acquisition of North Korean weapons and using them in its invasion of Ukraine is a “clear violation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
Japan’s top government spokesman also criticized Putin’s assertion that the U.N. sanctions regime against North Korea over its missile and nuclear development programs should be reviewed.
“Such remarks are totally unacceptable,” he said.
© KYODO
