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Missiles deployed in Kurils are to strengthen national security — spokeswoman

Russia is carrying out routine defense-building measures, Zakharova said

Bastion missile system (right) Yuri Smityuk/TASS

Bastion missile system (right)

© Yuri Smityuk/TASS

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Kremlin assures deployment of missiles on Kuril Islands will not harm talks with Japan

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. The deployment of the missile system Bastion in the southern Kuril islands is expected to strengthen national security, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

"As for the deployment of the missile system Bastion in the southern Kuril islands, Russia is carrying out routine defense-building measures," Zakharova said. "The aim is to systematically strengthen national security. Combat missile systems have been deployed in the southern Kurils precisely for this purpose. The southern Kurils are an integral part of Russian territory."

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said that the placement of missile systems in the Kurils was a well-founded move and should not affect negotiations with Tokyo, including those on a future peace treaty.

"At the same time, in our view this should by no means influence the fast trends that have developed in our bilateral relations with Tokyo in terms of thorough preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to Japan (on December 15-16) and the continuing contacts for the development of bilateral relations, in particular, in the economic sphere and from the standpoint of talks on problems related with the peace treaty issue," Peskov said.

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