Russia has withdrawn from the agreement with Japan on simplified visiting the Kuril Islands by Japanese nationals, former residents of these territories and from the agreement of the procedure of mutual trips, TASS reports.
The corresponding government resolution was posted on the official portal of legal information. It terminates the agreement between the foreign ministers of the former Soviet Union and Japan on the procedure of mutual trips of October 14, 1991 and the intergovernmental agreement on the organization of simplifies visits to the Kunashir and Iturup Islands and the Smaller Kuril Archipelago islands (Sakhalin region) by Japanese citizens - former residents of these islands and their family members of September 2, 1999.
The Russian foreign ministry was instructed to notify the Japanese side about this decision.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi called Russia's decision "absolutely unreasonable and unacceptable". He added that the sanctions against Russia were imposed in connection with the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow, by making decisions on bilateral cooperation, "is trying to put the responsibility on Japan".
