STRELNA, St. Petersburg. June 6 (Interfax) - Russia is concerned about military cooperation between Japan and the United States and hopes that Tokyo will treat these concerns with respect, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Our Japanese friends and partners are aware of our concerns," Putin said at a meeting with managers of major international news agencies on Thursday.
"This is related in large part to Japan's military cooperation with the United States," he said.
Putin said he was particularly implying the U.S.' plans to build a new runway for one of its military units in Okinawa.
"Local residents object to this, and the governor joins their protests. After all this, the airport is being built. And what if something is built the same way in other territories that are of significant interest to us from the viewpoint of Russia's security?" Putin said.
Japan views the deployment of various weapons systems in its territory positively, he said.
"We do not question Japan's right to ensure its security using means that it sees as the most efficient and necessary. This is a sovereign right of any country," Putin said.
At the same time, Russia has to think about its own security and about what might change in the region, he said.
"We presume that Japan will treat our concerns with respect. This is a subject of negotiations," Putin said.