Expatica news

Russia summons Japan diplomat over exhibition on disputed islands

Russia’s foreign ministry said Tuesday it has summoned a Japanese diplomat over an exhibition in Tokyo about a group of islands that have long been disputed by the two countries.

The ministry said the exhibition, which opened last week, displayed “propaganda materials” that attempted to prove Japan’s rights to the islands, which are called the Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan.

The string of four volcanic islands were seized by the Soviet army in the last days of World War II and Tokyo and Moscow are locked in dispute over them.

President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have met many times to try to find a way to break the impasse.

The ministry said moves such as the exhibition “run counter to agreements between the leaders of our countries to create a positive atmosphere in bilateral relations”.

After being summoned, the Japanese minister-counselor was informed of “Russia’s indisputable legal sovereignty” to the islands, the Russian ministry said.

The incident came after Moscow said on Monday it had handed Japanese diplomats a note of protest after a Japanese national was allegedly caught trying to obtain “classified information” in Russia’s Far East in December.

The Japanese national, who was not identified and was in Russia on a media visa, was warned about “the inadmissibility of his actions” and ordered to leave the country, the foreign ministry said.