TOKYO, June 2. /TASS/. Tokyo is open for dialogue with Moscow, but there are no specific plans for political contacts right now, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters.
"Bilateral relations are currently in a difficult situation, but we believe communication is especially important during challenging times. From the standpoint of properly handling relations with our neighbor Russia, our country will continue to maintain open communication with Russia, including through diplomatic channels," he said.
At the same time, the top diplomat noted that "there are currently no plans for political-level contacts between Japan and Russia."
In response to a question about Tokyo's announcement of an allocation of 14.6 million dollars to Ukraine under NATO's PUTL program following the visit of Japanese high-ranking officials to Moscow, the foreign minister stated that "this is in no way connected."
On May 26-27, Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry’s Trade Policy Bureau Director General Arai Masayoshi and Foreign Ministry’s European Affairs Bureau Deputy Director General Masaki Ishikawa visited Moscow. A Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) representative also visited Russia, while representatives of some Japanese companies took part in some meetings, the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry told TASS. Tokyo emphasized that the goal of the trip was merely "to protect the assets" of Japanese businesses in Russia, not "to establish new cooperation."
Since 2022, the Japanese government has introduced several sanctions packages against Russia, significantly curtailing bilateral relations. In an interview with TASS, Russian Ambassador to Tokyo Nikolay Nozdrev said that relations have deteriorated to an unprecedentedly low level because of Japan’s hostile policy. He added that the condition for restoring relations and ensuring interstate contacts is Japan’s refusal to continue its current course toward Russia.