Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Alexeyev Receives Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Yasuo Saito

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

On July 5 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexander Alexeyev at the Japanese side's request received the Ambassador of Japan to Russia, Yasuo Saito.

The Ambassador, citing an instruction from Tokyo, informed Alexeyev of the deep concern felt by the Japanese government over the DPRK's missile launches on July 5 and stressed that Japan intended to submit this issue for consideration by the United Nations Security Council.

Alexeyev stressed that the Russian side was also expressing serious concern over such acts by the DPRK and urging the latter to show restraint and abide by the obligations it has assumed in the missile field. The Ambassador was told that the Russian MFA was conducting consultations with all the participants of the six-nation talks, inter alia over the proposal to convene a meeting of the UN Security Council to examine the situation.

July 5, 2006