Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that Russia has an extremely large role to play with North Korea.

This comes after The European Commission of Foreign Relation identified 15 cities and landmarks across the world that it believes North Korea has in its sights.

All of them are either in the US, Japan, South Korea or US territories in the Pacific Ocean.

Mr Lavrov, however, instead expressed his concerns over Japan’s missile defence including their plan to secure US developed Aegis Ashore system.

Mr Lavrov said Moscow was particularly concerned the Aegis Ashore system could be adapted to fire Tomahawk missiles and warned that would be in violation of a US-Russian arms control treaty.
Sergey Lavrov

He went on to say that any scenario with North Korea will have disastrous consequences.

Mr Lavrov and Mr Kono also discussed plans for a joint economic venture on a disputed island called the Northern Territories by Japan and the South Kurils by Russia.

The pair agreed to advance preparations for a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia in 2018.

Mr Kono requested that Mr Lavrov visit Japan ahead of the summit.

Mr Kono insisted the defences are solely to counter North Korean attacks and should not pose any threat to their ties with Russia.

The Russian diplomat said: “Our key task now is that our contacts with you do not remain just contacts, but produce real results, which bring our relations to a totally new level.

“I’m convinced that today’s visit will enable us to do this.”

These talks came after eight North Korean fishermen washed up on the coast of northern Japan.

An investigation was launched when the men were found at Yurihonjo city’s marina on Thursday.
Yurihonjo City

They were found after the police received a call that suspicious men were standing around at the seaside in Yurihonjo town.

Police found a wooden boat at a nearby marina.

The men identified themselves as North Koreans who were fishing before the boat broke down and washed ashore.

Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Hachiro Okonogo said they drifted to the northeast of Japan “after their ship experienced troubles”.

An investigation is underway including the possibility of illegal fishing.

A week earlier, the Japanese Coast Guard rescued three North Korean men from a capsized fishing boat off Japan’s northern coast.
Source: express.co.uk

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