OREANDA-NEWS. The protests of the Japanese side in connection with a visit by Russian officials to the Kuril Islands don't cause concern for the Russian government. This was announced by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who arrived on Iturup on Friday, told reporters.

“Of course not”, he said, answering the question of whether the Japanese side’s protest caused him concern. "This is our land, this is a subject of the Russian Federation, these islands are part of the Sakhalin region. What are the reasons for our concern here?" - added Medvedev.

The prime minister recalled that Russian government officials visit both the Kuril Islands and any other territories of the Russian Federation without coordination with any states "with all our good attitude and desire to develop friendly relations". "Moreover, the more such indignations, the more likely there are more reasons for representatives of the government of the Russian Federation to come here, which we will naturally deal with", he concluded.

The Japanese government expressed deep regret over the trip on Friday by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the southern Kuril island of Iturup. Moscow previously consistently rejected the protests of the Japanese side in connection with the trips of Russian officials to the southern Kuril Islands.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a message stressing that Tokyo expresses extreme regret over the trip of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the South Kuril island of Iturup. Moscow previously consistently rejected the protests of the Japanese side in connection with the trips of Russian officials to the southern Kuril Islands. Commenting on the position of Tokyo, Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that it doesn't cause Moscow concern. According to him, the Kuril Islands - "this is a subject of the Russian Federation, these islands are part of the Sakhalin region".