MOSCOW. Nov 2 (Interfax) - The chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachyov, has said he think that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, due to take place in Japan in mid-November, will be held at a proper level despite the latest complications in relations between Moscow and Tokyo.
"The APEC summit is an important international event. I am convinced that its venue should not influence the Russian leadership's decision to participate in it. This summit is increasingly important to Russia, and our country should be represented at it at the highest level," Kosachyov told journalists.
The Russian side should remain "unruffled" by Japan's decision to recall its ambassador from Moscow, the MP said, adding that the reason behind this step was not totally clear to him.
"I am still trying to understand this issue - either the ambassador was recalled in protest against the Russian president's visit to the Kuril Islands or it was done due to preparations for the APEC summit," Kosachyov said.
"It is absolutely obvious that this scandal is developing exclusively at the Japanese side's initiative," he said.
"Tokyo has chosen not to hear all of our previous signals confirming our interest in normalizing good neighborly relations with Japan. Furthermore, they [Russia's signals] were misinterpreted and were treated almost as a sign of Russia's weakness, which is wrong," Kosachyov said.
"The South Kuril Islands are not a disputed region because they are integral part of the Russian Federation, which has been recognized by all of our country's serious partners," the MP said.
"The ongoing situation where the allegedly disputable nature of this issue is being imposed on us as an ultimatum represents a deadlock, which seriously hampers any further discussions on the matter," Kosachyov said.
The latest developments in Russian-Japanese relations "should not be dramatized", he said.