MOSCOW, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Monday expressed its concerns over the development of a new U.S. radar in Japan, calling on the U.S. to balance efforts and avoid damaging other countries' security interests.
Earlier on Monday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced the United States and Japan have agreed to locate the second U.S. missile defense radar in Japan to monitor possible threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"The potential deployment of the second anti-missile radar on the Japanese territory will considerably enhance the capabilities of the American missile defense system in the Asia-Pacific region, " the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"We are urging our American partners to balance their missile defense efforts against real challenges and threats, so as not to damage the security interests of other members of the international community," the ministry said.
Also on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul wrote on his microblog that the new deployment of the U.S. missile defense system in Japan will "pose no threat to Russia's strategic deterrent."
The U.S. deployed its first X-band radar in northern Japan in 2006.
Moscow has long opposed the deployment of U.S.-led European missile defense facilities near its borders and called for legally binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO that the missile shield is not targeting Russia.
