Japan condemns Russian Prime Minister's visit to Kuril Islands
The visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the Kuril Islands damages Russian-Japanese relations, and Tokyo opposes Moscow's actions, reads the statement of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
"After the war, the territorial dispute with the Soviet Union and Russia was not resolved, even though more than 70 years have passed. In such circumstances, the visit of the Russian Prime Minister to the Northern territories (the Japanese description of the Southern Kuril Islands) is condemned by Japan and does not contribute to the relations between the two countries," reads the statement. The Japanese Foreign Ministry stressed that such trips "are inconsistent with Japan's position" and "offend the feelings of the Japanese people."
Tokyo sent a note of protest to the Russian Embassy in Japan in connection with Medvedev's trip. "We received an opinion from the Japanese side, which was rejected by us. The Japanese side did not protest, rather it was an expression of their discontent," said the Russian Embassy.
Dmitry Medvedev arrived in the Kuril Islands from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk where he had a meeting on the social development of Economic Development Centers in the far East. The Russian Prime Minister visited the island of Iturup.