Japan's FM Urges Russia To Release Journalist Detained On Sakhalin
Motegi and Lavrov met on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting that began the same day in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Tensions between the two countries escalated further in early October when a Japanese journalist was detained on Sakhalin on suspicion of espionage.
Japan's Foreign Ministry said Motegi and Lavrov had agreed to maintain communication despite strained relations.
In addition, Japan's foreign minister urged Russia to take steps toward achieving a just and lasting peace in connection with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Motegi also clearly outlined Japan's position on unresolved bilateral issues, including those concerning islands off the coast of Hokkaido that are under Russian control.
Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Lavrov had stressed during the meeting that Japan must abandon its“unfriendly policy” toward Russia if it wanted to restore full-fledged dialogue. The ministry added that Friday's meeting had taken place at Japan's request.
The first official meeting between the Japanese and Russian foreign ministers in about five years took place amid deteriorating bilateral relations following the sanctions imposed on Russia by Japan and other G7 members over Moscow's war against Ukraine. The last official meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers was held in September 2021.
Read also: Germany and Japan reaffirm commitment to continued support for UkraineAs Ukrinform reported, Yuki Imai, a journalist with Japan's Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, was detained in Russia's Sakhalin region shortly before his scheduled departure from Russia. Moscow's Lefortovo District Court ordered his detention for two months, until December 12.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that the journalist had allegedly collected information about Russia's defense capabilities“in the interests of one of Japan's intelligence services.”
Japan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and lodged a protest over the detention of a Japanese citizen without prior explanation to the Japanese government.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi rejected Russia's espionage allegations against the Japanese journalist detained by Moscow.
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