Japan FM asks Russia's Medvedev to cancel visit to Kuril Islands - Kyodo
TOKYO. KAZINFORM - Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has sent a request through the Japanese Embassy in Moscow, asking Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to cancel his visit to the Kuril Islands, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.
Medvedev's remark about his planned trip to the disputed islands in Russia's Far East - known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia but as the Northern Territories in Japan - "immediately drew a petition from the Japanese Embassy against making a visit", Kyodo said, adding that "the Japanese Embassy in Moscow has communicated its request to the Russian Foreign Ministry, asking the Russian leader not to visit the territories claimed by Japan."
The Russian premier announced his plans to visit the islands on Thursday, advising other ministers to follow his example.
"I am planning to go and have a look how matters stand there. And I invite the others," Medvedev told a government meeting.
Medvedev first visited the Kuril Islands in 2010 when he was holding the post of the Russian president. He became the first Russian leader to visit the islands.
In 2012, the premier visited Kunashir, southernmost of the Kuril Islands.
Japan, which claims four of the Kuril Islands, including Kunashir, protested against Medvedev's visits. However, Moscow repeatedly stated that Tokyo had no right to give Russian leaders advice on the routes of their domestic trips, Kazinform refers to TASS.