Moscow protests to Japan over statements regarding Putin’s visit to one of the disputed islands

Moscow, August 18 (KUNA) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Japanese ambassador to Moscow, Akira Muto, on Tuesday and delivered a strongly worded protest against comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai, which were critical of Russia in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to one of the Southern Kuril Islands disputed between the two countries. The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that Japan’s remarks regarding Putin’s visit to Iturup Island “exceeded the bounds of courtesy,” expressing Moscow’s deep concern over what he described as Japanese attempts to reshape the rules of international law to suit their whims and to shirk historical responsibility. Lavrov added that Moscow had summoned the Japanese ambassador to the Foreign Ministry headquarters to inform him of the manner in which he should conduct his diplomatic duties in the host country, a move reflecting the escalating tensions between the two countries over the status of the Southern Kurils. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin conveyed Moscow’s strong protest against the statements issued by the Japanese prime minister, emphasizing that Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands, including Iturup, are “firm and inviolable.” According to Russian media reports, the ministry affirmed that “any attempts by Japan to directly or indirectly challenge Russian jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands are unacceptable and illegal,” warning that Moscow reserves the right to take “appropriate counter and similar measures” in response to what it considers Japanese support for the Kyiv regime and Tokyo’s involvement in the policies of the “collective West.” Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island on August 13, his first trip to the Kuril Islands, where he inspected several facilities and met with local officials, a move that sparked an official protest from Tokyo. The visit triggered a sharp reaction from the Japanese side, with the prime minister describing it as “unacceptable in any way,” while Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reiterated his country’s position that the four islands at the southern end of the Kuril chain, which Japan calls the “Northern Territories,” are an inseparable part of Japanese territory based on historical and legal considerations. The roots of the dispute over the islands date back to the end of World War II, when the Soviet Union took control of them in 1945. Japan continues to claim the four islands—Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands—which has prevented the signing of a formal peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo since the end of World War II. Russia-Japan relations have further deteriorated since 2022 in the wake of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, after Japan joined Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, while Russia, in turn, took measures it considered a response to Japan’s policy toward it. (End) D.A.N./A.M.S.