MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Interfax) - The South Kuril islands are part of Russia's territory, and the Russian president has every right to visit them, President Dmitry Medvedev said.
"This is our land. We need to continue developing the Kuril Islands. But it does not mean that we are not ready to work together with our Japanese colleagues. On the contrary, we are ready to implement joint economic projects, we are ready to heed various historic things that were on the Kuril islands, we are ready to work together with them. But it does not mean that we should give up the Kuril Islands as our land," Medvedev said in an interview with the heads of three federal television stations.
Russia's Japanese partners "need to understand this clearly," he said.
The president said he was unruffled by Tokyo's reaction to his visit to the Kuril Islands.
"As far as I am concerned, nothing has changed. I think the Japanese are putting too much strain on themselves," he said.
Medvedev said he regretted Tokyo's decision to recall its ambassador to Russia after the visit.
"I am really sorry that his political career was suspended for a certain period of time effectively because of me. I do not know what he will do next. It was not our goal," he said.