AFP
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A Russian envoy on Monday warned Japan against developing nuclear weapons, saying it would set off a nuclear arms race and cause "huge damage" to regional stability. Top Japanese lawmakers have called for Japan to debate the long-time taboo on developing nuclear weapons in the wake of North Korea's test of an atom bomb last month.
"If Japan, which has contributed a great deal to the international community, heads the way of developing nuclear weapons, it would be of huge damage to the stability of the international community," said Alexander Losyukov, the Russian ambassador to Japan.

"If such a situation occurs, it would provoke the arms race. Other countries in the vicinity of Japan, especially Russia and China, would have to respond to it," he said at a news conference.

"Responding to such an action would be inevitable from the viewpoint of strategic parity," he said.

Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Shoichi Nakagawa, a top policy adviser, have called for a frank debate on nuclear weapons -- anathema to many people in the only nation to have been attacked with atomic bombs.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has repeatedly ruled out even debating the nuclear option. But Abe, who wants officially pacifist Japan to expand its military role, has refused opposition demands that he fire aides who support debate on nuclear weapons.

"I want Japanese leaders to take responsible action on this matter. At this point, the prime minister is behaving sensibly, though," Losyukov said.

The United States has ensured Japan's security since the end of World War II, when the country was stripped of the right to maintain its own military.

US leaders have said that Japan has no need for nuclear weapons but that Washington will not seek to stop discussion of the issue.

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