Japanese Not Anti-Russia, Kremlin Official Says

Tokyo, Sept. 28 (Jiji Press)--Mikhail Shvydkoy, special representative of the Russian president for international cultural cooperation, told Russian media Tuesday that he would not label Japanese as being anti-Russia even in the face of serious political crises, apparently referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and international sanctions on Moscow.

Speaking to Russian state-run news agency Tass and others, Shvydkoy, who visited Japan to attend Tuesday's state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also highly praised the advancing of Japan-Russia cultural exchanges under the Abe administration.

On Japan's canceling of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev's performances that were planned in Japan from late November to early December, however, Shvydkoy said it was not a wise decision. Gergiev is known to have close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Supporting Putin's policies does not mean having less talents as a musician, Shvydkoy said. He stressed that Russian culture is an integral part of global culture.

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