Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sharply criticized the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kuril Islands, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
“This visit... contradicts Japan's consistent position on the Northern Territories“, said Takaichi, using the Japanese name for the archipelago. According to her, the visit “offends the feelings of the Japanese people“ and is “completely unacceptable“.
The Kuril Islands are the subject of a long-standing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan. Tokyo claims the archipelago, which the Soviet Union took from Japan at the end of World War II.
For decades, the two countries have been negotiating on the issue, but they have not led to any significant results. According to the Associated Press, the increased Russian military presence on the archipelago further emphasizes Moscow's tough stance on the dispute.
Putin's visit also provoked a reaction from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, which also sharply criticized him.
The territorial dispute remains one of the main unresolved issues in relations between Russia and Japan. The Russian president's visit to the islands further exacerbates the positions of both countries on the issue.