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RF Defence Ministry may invite Japanese observers to its military exercises

Тhe Russian Defence Ministry was showing maximum transparency during scheduled army exercises, Sergei Shoigu said

TOKYO, November 2 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Defence Ministry will consider the possibility of inviting Japanese observers to its military exercises, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

He said the Russian Defence Ministry was showing maximum transparency during scheduled army exercises. “We invite all attaches, including from NATO countries,” he said at a press conference after 2+2 talks between Russian and Japanese foreign and defence ministers in Tokyo on Saturday, November 2.

Military attaches from more than 80 countries monitored the Zapad 2013 war games in Russia, he added.

“Our Japanese colleagues and we agreed to continue this practice. Moreover, at their proposal, we will consider inviting observers from Japan’s Self-Defence Forces to our exercises,” Shoigu said.

During his meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera on Friday, November 1, Shoigu told him about scheduled and unscheduled exercises and surprise inspections in the Russian Armed Forces. “Our surprise inspections and exercises are conducted on a greater scale than the scheduled ones. Nevertheless, we have always considered checking the combat capability of the Russian Armed Forces our main goal, not brandishing arms,” he said.

He noted that the Russian Defence Ministry always issued information bulletins after surprise inspections.

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