Japan demands release of national in meeting with Russia’s Lavrov
The rare high-level meeting between the two countries came amid strained ties over Ukraine and a long-running territorial dispute.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during a G20 summit in Atlanta, urging the release of a Japanese national held in Russia's Sakhalin region. The high-level encounter occurred amid deteriorating relations due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and territorial disputes. Motegi's office confirmed that the Japanese minister made a formal protest and argued over various issues between the two nations, with a specific focus on the detention of the Japanese citizen in Sakhalin Oblast.
Russia announced in recent months the arrest of a Japanese journalist on espionage charges in Sakhalin, further straining bilateral ties. The case, combined with the unresolved World War II peace treaty issue over the Kuril Islands, has escalated tensions between Russia and Japan, who have not signed a peace treaty and view each other as "unfriendly" countries.
Despite strained relations, they continue to engage in trade, with Japan purchasing Russian liquefied natural gas. Motegi also urged Russia to foster a peaceful resolution in Ukraine during their meeting. Russian Foreign Ministry sources quoted by Interfax news agency stated that the meeting was requested by Japan and emphasized that full diplomatic dialogue could only resume if Tokyo abandoned its unfriendly policies.
The G20 foreign ministers, excluding Russia, skipped a customary group photo at the Atlanta summit after European representatives protested Russia's involvement due to the Ukraine war.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
