“Considering the obviously unfriendly character of unilateral restrictions imposed by Japan on Russia in connection with the situation in Ukraine, the Russian Federation is taking several measures in response.
Under the current conditions, the Russian Federation does not intend to continue peace treaty talks with Japan because it is impossible to discuss this fundamental document on bilateral relations with a state that holds an explicitly unfriendly position and seeks to harm the interests of our country.
Russia has decided to suspend visa-free travel for Japanese citizens under the 1991 agreement on visa-free exchanges between the Southern Kurile Islands and the 1999 agreement on maximally facilitated visits by former Japanese residents of the southern Kuril Islands to the places of their former residency.
Russia will withdraw from the dialogue with Japan on developing joint economic activities on the southern Kuril Islands.
Russia will block the extension of Japan’s partner status in the Organisation of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) on sectoral dialogue.
All responsibility for harming bilateral cooperation and the interests of Japan itself rests with Tokyo, which has deliberately chosen an anti-Russia course instead of developing mutually beneficial cooperation and neighbourly relations”, the announcement of the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
