Media reports Japanese Premier issuing apology over Russia nuclear waste remarks

2025-02-04 04:03:16

(MENAFN) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued an apology after comments were made by a senior official from Japan's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NUMO) suggesting the Kuril Islands as a potential site for disposing of nuclear waste. The islands, claimed by both Japan and Russia, have been the subject of a long-standing territorial dispute since the Soviet Union seized them at the end of World War II.

During a parliamentary session on Monday, MP Kamiya Hiroshi questioned Ishiba about the controversial statement. The official had described the idea of placing a radioactive waste disposal site on the Kurils as a way to address multiple issues at once. Ishiba expressed regret, calling the suggestion “unacceptable” and acknowledging that it stemmed from a lack of judgment. He assured that the proposal was no longer under consideration and apologized on behalf of the government.

The territorial dispute has been further complicated by Russia's actions since the Ukraine conflict escalated. Moscow suspended peace talks with Japan in 2022 after Japan imposed sanctions on Russia, and it also halted agreements allowing Japanese citizens to visit the Kurils or engage in fishing activities nearby.

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