Lavrov: Russia worried Japan becoming US base for military build-up

Russia is concerned that Japan is allowing Washington to use its territory as a base for a U.S. military build-up in north Asia under the pretext of countering North Korea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono.

"We are expressing deep concern, with facts to back it up, that Japan along with South Korea is becoming a territory for the deployment of elements of the U.S. global missile defence system which is being rolled out in that region under the pretext of the North Korea threat,” Lavrov said.

“We have no problems directly with Japan, we do not see risks there. We see risks because of the proliferation of a global U.S. missile defence system on the territory of countries that neighbour Russia, including Japan.”

“We are alarmed that in the last two months when North Korea conducted no tests or rocket launches, it seemed that Washington was not happy about that, and tried to do things that would irritate and provoke Pyongyang,” Reuters cited Lavrov as saying.

According to Lavrov, Moscow has strong doubts that Washington would agree to transfer control of its anti-ballistic missile defense system to anyone.