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Russian MP says Putin’s visit to Japan pierces Russia’s blockade

The overall results of the visit are a major diplomatic success for both Russia and Japan

© Yuri Smityuk/ITAR-TASS, archive

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The chairman of the Russian State Duma’s international affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Japan, which produced agreements on a special mode of economic activities on the Kuril Islands, broke through the sanctions blockade.

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"As a matter of fact the results of Putin’s visit can be described as a breakthrough that pierced the sanctions against Russia, which Japan had regrettably joined under pressures from the United States. A full-fledged dialog is in progress on advancing full-format cooperation. This shows that Russia’s international isolation is a myth created by the outgoing US Administration," Slutsky told TASS.

He sees the overall results of the visit as a major diplomatic success for both Russia and Japan.

"The achieved agreements on a special mode of joint economic activity on the Kuril Islands, in combination with the awareness of the outlook for concluding a peace treaty, are really historic and meet the interests of both countries," he said.

Besides, Slutsky believes, "the inter-industrial agreements that have been concluded will facilitate further cooperation in trading, economic, investment and humanitarian spheres."

"In this context it is of no small importance that Russia has reaffirmed its stance regarding the sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. No territorial concessions to Japan are on the agenda," Slutsky said.

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