Most of the Japanese companies surveyed by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) stuck to their earlier decisions to partially or fully suspend operations in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine two years ago, JETRO said on Wednesday. Japan, a member of the Group of Seven developed nations, has joined Western sanctions on Russia after … Read more
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday pledged to visit a chain of islands in Russia’s Far East region, including those disputed by Japan, further complicating the strained ties between both countries amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. At a town hall meeting in the Khabarovsk region that was broadcast on state television, Putin said he … Read more
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko on Thursday expressed concerns to Japan over its recent decision to provide domestically made Patriot interceptor missiles to the United States, saying the move heightens tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. Rudenko made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Akira Muto, apparently reflecting Moscow’s concern that … Read more
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that all territorial disputes between Moscow and other countries, including Japan, as “over.” Lavrov made the remarks, which could suggest Moscow will never discuss with Tokyo the issue of sovereignty over Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, during an interview Monday with the state-controlled Channel One television network. The former … Read more
Russia on Thursday announced the suspension of a cooperation agreement for the decommissioning of its nuclear weapons signed with Japan in 1993, amid the deterioration of bilateral relations following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia disclosed an order signed Tuesday by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stating that the Kremlin will notify Tokyo of … Read more
Nikolay Nozdrev, a director in charge of Japan and other Asian countries at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, is slated to become the next Russian ambassador to Japan, filling a post left vacant for a year amid sour bilateral relations, diplomatic sources have said. The 52-year-old may take up the position, subject to approval by the Japanese … Read more
Japan’s “militarization” complicates the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council and former President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday. Russia and Japan have a complex relationship marked by a territorial dispute over a handful of small, Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that Moscow calls the southern Kurils but Japan claims … Read more