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Tokyo does not intend to join AUKUS, Japanese PM says

"We positively assess the purposes of AUKUS and intend to maintain partner relations with the countries that comprise it. However, Japan does not intend to join this structure," Fumio Kishida stressed

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

© AP Photo/Evan Vucci

TOKYO, May 24. /TASS/. The Japanese government does not intend to join the AUKUS military alliance created by Australia, the UK and the US last fall, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference following a summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) in Tokyo on Tuesday.

"We positively assess the purposes of AUKUS and intend to maintain partner relations with the countries that comprise it," he said. "However, Japan does not intend to join this structure," the Japanese prime minister added.

The Quad summit was attended by US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

As reported earlier, Japan received offers to join AUKUS. However, later this information was officially refuted.

Last September, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the formation of a new security pact called AUKUS. Australia particularly intends to use American technologies to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, the first of which will become operational in 2036, as well as to equip its armed forces with US-made cruise missiles. Later, the sides announced that they intended to cooperate in the development of hypersonic combat systems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s leader Xi Jinping during their February 4 talks in Beijing expressed concern over the formation of this partnership. China, in particular, repeatedly stated that the creation of AUKUS would aggravate the arms race since the alliance is based on the "Cold War" mentality.

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Warehouse catches fire in southern Moscow, over 2,500 square meters on fire

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US-led coalition aircraft violate Syrian airspace 16 times in past day

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