Foreign Minister Taro Kono has apologized for repeating "Next question please," without answering reporters' questions on Japan-Russia relations during a recent press conference.
"I regret" what happened at Tuesday's press conference, Kono posted on his blog on Saturday.
On that day, Kono was asked about his reaction to comments made by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, over the northern territories. However, "Next question, please," was his only response and he repeated the phrase later when similar questions were asked.
"I should have at least replied, 'I will refrain from answering [the question],' as I usually do," Kono said in his Saturday blog post.
"At the moment, I must refrain from making any comments that could affect negotiations between Japan and Russia," Kono said, emphasizing that he remains cautious when commenting on bilateral relations.
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