Russia rules out talks with Japan on fishing near disputed islands

RUSSIA mentioned on Sunday it is not going to maintain annual talks with Japan on renewing a pact that permits Japanese fishermen to function near disputed islands, saying Japan has taken anti-Russian measures.

The islands, off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are recognized in Russia because the Kurils and in Japan because the Northern Territories and have been on the core of a long time of stress between the neighbors.

“In the context of the anti-Russian measures taken by the Japanese government … the Russian side informed Tokyo that it could not agree on the holding of intergovernmental consultations on the implementation of this agreement,” the RIA state information company reported, citing Russia’s international ministry.

Japan, a significant US ally, imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian people and organizations quickly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 final yr.

On Friday, it tightened sanctions on Russia in response to Russian air assaults on Ukrainian cities.

Russia in June suspended the 1998 settlement that allowed Japanese boats to fish near the islands and Japan’s chief cupboard secretary on Monday advised a information convention that Japan would demand that Russia engages within the annual talks so this yr’s fishing operations might start.

However the Russian ministry mentioned there could be no enchancment in ties until Japan confirmed “respect”.

“To return to a normal dialogue, the Japanese neighbors should show elementary respect for our country, a desire to improve bilateral relations,” the ministry mentioned, in response to the RIA information company.

Russia and Japan haven’t formally ended World Warfare II hostilities due to their standoff over the islands, seized by the Soviet Union on the finish of the conflict. — Reuters

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