MOSCOW: The Kremlin expressed concern on Monday over a travel warning from Japan urging its citizens to avoid traveling to Russia, saying Tokyo was aligned with the West and its leaders did not want to develop ties with Moscow.
According to Kyodo News, Muneo Suzuki, a veteran Japanese parliament member known for promoting closer ties with Russia, had traveled to Moscow for talks with government officials, ignoring a government recommendation against such a visit.
The paper reported that Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government had issued a recommendation urging Japanese citizens, including members of parliament, to refrain from traveling to Russia.
Asked about these issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Japan’s leadership appeared to be trying to put pressure on its people who want better ties with Moscow.
“It is clear that there are many people in Tokyo who are not in favor of developing bilateral relations. Unfortunately, the current Japanese leadership has expressed solidarity with the actions of Western countries that are unfriendly to Russia, which cannot but have a negative impact on bilateral relations,” Peskov said.
He added that unfortunately, the Japanese leadership does not stop at this attitude towards Russia, but is trying to put pressure on those with different views and find ways to establish relations.
Tokyo and Moscow have a long-running territorial dispute over four islands off Japan’s coast that has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty since the end of World War II.
