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Russia to take deployment of US missile systems to Japan into account — senior diplomat

The diplomat implied the MK-41 launching systems that could be used for firing intermediate-range cruise missiles

MK 41 launching system wikimedia.org/Hpeterswald/CC BY-SA 3.0

MK 41 launching system

© wikimedia.org/Hpeterswald/CC BY-SA 3.0

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MOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/. Moscow will take into account the deployment of US missile launchers to Japan, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told a briefing on Monday.

"The MK-41 launching systems that are likely to be deployed to Japan sooner or later can also be used for launching intermediate-range cruise missiles," he noted. "This is why once such systems are deployed to Japan, we will take them into consideration," the senior Russian diplomat added.

Ryabkov pointed out that Russia was in dialogue with Japan on who "will control these systems" and what the Japanese government’s role would be. "All this is subject to consultations and not to a public analysis," he said, noting that as far as security issues were concerned, there was a need to be guided by facts rather than statements about intentions and plans.

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