Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has demanded from his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov the immediate release of Japanese journalist Yuki Imai, who is being held in Russia on suspicion of espionage. The two spoke in Atlanta on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.
This is the first official meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan and Russia in five years. Their last meeting at such a level was in September 2021 in New York. The initiative for the current meeting came from the Japanese side.
During the talks, Motegi insisted on the release of Imai, who, according to Russian authorities, was being held on Sakhalin Island. The Japanese foreign minister raised the issue of the journalist against the backdrop of seriously deteriorating relations between Tokyo and Moscow.
The Japanese foreign ministry said the two ministers had agreed to maintain dialogue despite their differences. "We will maintain communication even in the difficult state of relations between Japan and Russia," the Japanese position states.
Russia presented the meeting as a short conversation held at the request of the Japanese side. Moscow said that the restoration of full-fledged interstate dialogue depends on Tokyo's rejection of what the Russian side defines as "hostile policy."
The Kuril Islands dispute remains an obstacle
Japan and Russia have been arguing for decades over the southern part of the Kuril Islands. The archipelago is administered by Russia, but Japan calls it the Northern Territories and lays claims to it. The territorial dispute is among the reasons why the two countries have not signed a formal peace treaty since World War II.
Tensions increased after the start of the war in Ukraine, when Japan joined sanctions against Moscow. Russia has designated Japan as an unfriendly state, and diplomatic contacts between the two countries have been limited.
The detention of the Japanese journalist has added a new dimension to the conflict. According to Russian authorities, Imai is suspected of espionage. The Japanese side is demanding his immediate release, while the Russian position on the case remains linked to the criminal investigation.
Sources: bta.bg, japantimes.co.jp