Tokyo protests at Soviet build-up

Press, 3 October 1979, Page 8

Tokyo protests at Soviet build-up

([NZPA-Reuter Tokyo!! “ i l ' The Soviet Union has re- a ] jetted a Japanese protest!; against, the stationing of Rus-]) ! sian troops and weapons on]t I three islands in the North! Pacific claimed by both Rus- a . sia and Japan, Japanese of-je ■ ficials have said. j They said that the Sovietit Ambassador to Japan (Mr'f Dmitry Polyansky), had told! the Japanese Vice-Foreign jt Minister (Mr Masuo ' Taka-.s shima) that Japan should not c interfere in the internal af-|f [fairs of the Soviet Union. [ ! Mr Polyansky has called to r [the Foreign Ministry after t the Japanese Cabinet yester-]g day decided to lodge the pro-] test after hearing a report IF from the Defence Minister!! j(Mr Ganri Yamashita) that,' troops approaching division] strength had been stationed! [on three of the islands, north;* ■ of the Japanese mainland. [ r ] “It is regrettable that So-1 1 Iviet troops on Etorofu and * l'

IKunashiri Islands have been (reinforced since Japan lodged! [a protest last February, and [that additional troops have; been newly brought to Shiko-[ ;tan Island,” Mr Sonoda said. I Foreign Ministry sources] 'and Moscow have been chill-1 [ed since last August when Japan, ignoring Soviet pro-' (tests, signed a peace and' friendship treaty with China.] I The Defence Minister said: the Defence Agency would (strttigthen its surveillance] over the islands, a few miles' ll'rdm Hokkaido. Japanese officials said that [no Soviet troops were stationed on the fourth island [group, Habomai. ! The islands, claimed by Ja-1 [pan. have been occupied by! ■the Soviet Union since World .War Two. ; The Government’s decision [to protest came within one hour of President Carter announcing in Washington that (the United States would establish a military task force for the Caribbean despite Soviet assurances that Soviet troops in Cuba would never any nation.