RIA Novosti reports that Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu at the Russian-Japanese "two plus two" consultations held in Tokyo assured his Japanese colleagues of Moscow's readiness to restore military ties between the two countries.

Shoigu said: "I am convinced that today's meeting will contribute to strengthening friendly relations between the armed forces of the two countries and developing mutually beneficial military cooperation. I would like to assure my Japanese colleagues of readiness for constructive work to restore military ties ".

The Russian minister noted that the restoration of meetings in the "two plus two" format with the participation of the heads of the Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Ministry provides a good opportunity to search for mutually acceptable solutions to global and regional security problems.

Shoigu also expressed his gratitude to the Japanese side for the good organization of these consultations.

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inad earlier in a meeting with Shoigu protested against the deployment of Russian missiles in the South Kuril Islands.