TOKYO: Tokyo has not only joined the Western Russophobic campaign, but is trying to lead it, including as current chair of the G7, Russian C...
TOKYO: Tokyo has not only joined the Western Russophobic campaign, but is trying to lead it, including as current chair of the G7, Russian Charge d'Affaires in Japan Gennady Ovechko said on Friday, promising that such a confrontational stance will not go unanswered.
"We note with regret the further deterioration in Japan's attitude toward Russia. We see that Tokyo has not only joined the Russophobic campaign orchestrated by the West, but is also trying to lead the 'supporters of democracy' - including as the chair country of the G7 - to increase pressure on Moscow and support the Kiev regime," he said at a reception dedicated to Russia Day, warning that "such short-sighted confrontational behavior certainly cannot go without countermeasures, which may be very deeply felt by Russia's detractors."
Japan has previously imposed several packages of sanctions on Russia in connection with the situation around Ukraine. As chair of the G7, Tokyo said maintaining sanctions against Moscow and continuing to support Kiev were necessary measures.
Western pressure
However, the diplomat added that pressure on Moscow would not change its position. "Western sanctions pressure, as well as attempts to ‘cancel’ Russia and everything connected with it, are doomed to failure and incapable of changing our country's policy. In addition, such actions will boomerang on Washington and its satellites," he said.
According to Ovechko, a "total hybrid war" has been unleashed against Russia under the "pretext of the Ukrainian crisis." "The West is not at all focused on artificially supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. [The country] is merely a tool and expendable material in the hands of NATO. Now the US and its allies are not concealing their true intentions - to achieve the disintegration and destruction of our country," he said.
At the same time, the Russian diplomat pointed out that, despite this, "there are many reasonable and well-meaning people in Japanese society" who "see the fallacy of the line taken by [Japanese Prime Minister Fumio] Kishida's administration and try to be guided primarily by Japan's national interests, without looking back at the US."
Space for cooperation
"We maintain space for pragmatic, equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan. In particular, bilateral trade last year exceeded $20 billion," he said, citing cooperation in energy and fisheries, as well as cultural contacts, especially through annual Russian cultural festivals. At the same time, Ovechko added, "the further orientation of movement in bilateral relations still depends on the actions of official Tokyo."
This year's Russia Day reception was attended by a large number of Japanese and foreign guests. In particular, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and the ambassadors of several countries, including Bangladesh, India, Kazakhstan, China, South Africa and other nations, were among the guests.
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