The Kremlin said today that the warning issued by Japan, urging its citizens to avoid traveling to Russia, shows that Tokyo is increasingly getting closer to the United States and the Japanese leadership does not want to develop ties with Moscow, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Earlier today, the Japanese news agency „Kyodo“ reported that Japanese lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, known for his calls for good relations with Russia, visited Moscow for talks with high-ranking local politicians, thus violating his government's recommendation against such trips.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Japanese leadership appeared to be putting pressure on Japanese citizens who want improved relations with Moscow not to visit Russia.
Asked if there would be any contacts between Suzuki and the Kremlin, Peskov said that there were none planned.
„It is clear that Tokyo is dominated by individuals who do not support the development of bilateral relations. Unfortunately, the current leadership of Japan has expressed solidarity with the hostile actions of the collective West towards Russia, and this cannot but harm bilateral relations," Peskov said.
“Unfortunately, the leadership of Japan does not limit itself to its position against our country and tries to put pressure on those who share a different point of view and are trying to find ways to establish contacts,“ he added.
The relationship between Tokyo and Moscow has long been weighed down by a territorial dispute over part of the Kuril Islands, which has prevented the conclusion of a peace treaty decades after the end of World War II, Reuters points out.