Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin has spelled out Russia's position on key international issues during a traditional December press conference hosted by ITAR-TASS.
Commenting on the territorial dispute with Japan over the South Kurils, the diplomat criticized the latest tough statements by Tokyo and called for further dialogue as the only way to promote a solution. He said he hoped the Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada's upcoming visit to Moscow, due to begin on Sunday, would bring the sides closer to agreement. Moscow has repeatedly stated that four islands of the South Kuril mountain ridge, Japan continues to refer to as its "northern territories", are an inalienable part of Russia and that its sovereignty over the South Kurils is confirmed by legally binding international treaties.
Among important results of the year, Mr. Borodavkin mentioned North Korea's consent to resume the six-nation talks on its nuclear program and called for the International Atomic Energy Agency to step in as a consultative body. North Korea announced its decision to return to the negotiating table during consultations with the American special envoy Stephen Bosworth on December 11.
Speaking about Russian arms exports to Iran, the diplomat repeated Russia's official standpoint that it saw no reason to cancel the existing contract for the supply of S-300 missile systems to Tehran because these weapons do not fall under any restrictions or under any bilateral or international treaties regulating arms trade.
Switching to other matters, Mr. Borodavkin confirmed that Russia would take part in the London conference on Afghanistan, due in late January. He said the forum's agenda would reflect international priorities in bringing the situation in Afghanistan back to normal, as well as challenges facing the Afghan government, among them the need to combat terrorism and drug trafficking, and to develop regional cooperation.
The diplomat stressed the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which comprises Afghanistan's close neighbors willing to assist in its postwar development.
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