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Russian senior diplomat, Japanese ambassador discuss regional, global security

Earlier, the Japanese ambassador Toyohisa Kozuki was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry, which expressed strong protest to Tokyo over its unfriendly steps against Moscow

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. Current issues of regional and global security were the focus of talks between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and the Japanese ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.

"The sides exchanged views on current topics of global and regional security of mutual interest," it said.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin was summoned to the Japanese foreign ministry, which expressed protest over Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s trip to the Kuril Island of Iturup. The diplomat told journalists that Russia did not accept Japan’s protest.

Later in the day, the Japanese ambassador was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry, which expressed strong protest to Tokyo over its unfriendly steps against Moscow.

Russia and Japan have been negotiating a peace treaty after World War II since the mid-20th century. The main stumbling block to this is the issue of the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II, all Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, Japan challenged the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands and a number of uninhibited islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge called the Habomai Islands in Japan.

In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ceasing the state of war. The two countries resumed diplomatic and other relations, however no peace treaty has been signed until now.

The Russian foreign ministry has repeatedly said that Russia’s sovereignty over these islands, which is committed to paper in international documents, cannot be called to question.