MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. Russia will give a tough response to adverse steps of the Japan’s government, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS in an interview.
"I regret saying the reaction of the Japanese government [represented by the foreign minister] to words of President [of Russia Vladimir Putin at the Valdai Club meeting] once again demonstrated that Japan has no intention to change anything to the positive side," Rudenko said. "In such conditions we will have to continue tough response to anti-Russian steps, being governed exclusively by national interest," he noted.
Putin said on September 7 at the plenary session of the Valdai Club that Russia and Japan are natural partners in view of being neighbors and Moscow would not retract if Tokyo returns to cooperation. Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that Tokyo considers statements of the Russian President as "somewhat positive" but is going to keep sanctions against Moscow.