For the first time since 2003, Japan officially called the Kuril Islands a territory “illegally occupied” by Russia.
In particular, this formulation appeared in the Blue Book on Diplomacy – it concerns the “northern territories,” as the Southern Kuril Islands are called in Japan.
The “Blue Book” was presented to the government by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
About this MIA “Russia Today”, noting that also for the first time – since 2011 – the indicated islands were designated as “territory belonging to Japan.”
Let us recall that earlier official Tokyo introduced a number of sanctions against Moscow, thus reacting to Russia’s military special operation in Ukraine.
By the way, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation intends to separately discuss issues regarding the statements made, interpreted by Moscow as statements about “violation of the territorial integrity of Russia.”
And the State Duma believes that Japan’s new formulations on the Kuril Islands are due to ongoing US pressure on its partners in order to influence Moscow.
