MOSCOW, November 7 (RIA Novosti) — The United States is openly coordinating international blackmail against Russia, Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, said Friday.
"Washington has become so brassy that it doesn't even hide the fact that it is openly coordinating blackmail and pressure against the Russian Federation," Naryshkin said during a meeting with the deputy head of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, Masahiko Komura.
Naryshkin noted that Moscow is deeply disappointed that its Japanese partners have joined the "illegal and counterproductive" economic sanctions against Russia.
"We understand that these steps were made under strong pressure from Washington… These steps are damaging the development of the Russian-Japanese relations," Naryshkin added, calling on Komura to encourage the normalization of relations between the two countries.
According to Naryshkin, years of cooperation between Russia and Japan have proven that they can work together in a constructive manner for the good of both countries.
"We greatly value the results of the Russian-Japanese cooperation and call [on Japan] to get back to the normal business relations. We respect Japan and its diligent people," Naryshkin said.
With the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine, Japan, along with the United States, the European Union and other members of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations introduced sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the crisis. Japanese sanctions are the softest among G7 nations as Tokyo is seen as unwilling to ruin its relationship with Russia.
