TOKYO, August 13. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iturup has hindered the normalization of relations between Moscow and Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters.

According to her, the trip "has complicated the medium- and long-term restoration of relations." "We would like the Russian side to fully appreciate the seriousness of this matter," she said. Takaichi noted that since Putin announced in January 2024 that he planned to visit the "Northern Territories," as Tokyo calls the southern part of the Kuril Islands, including Iturup, Japan had "urged the Russian side not to make this trip."

"We strongly protest this," she said. Takaichi stressed that all the "Northern Territories," including Iturup, are "inherent [Japanese] territory from historical and legal perspectives." The Japanese prime minister also said that Putin's visit to the Kuril Islands "completely runs counter to Japan's position" and that it had "hurt the feelings of the Japanese people."

Japan's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to Tokyo Nikolay Nozdrev over Putin's visit to Iturup, Kyodo reported.

The Russian Embassy in Tokyo told TASS that it would issue an official comment on the matter later.

Since the middle of the last century, Moscow and Tokyo have held talks aimed at drafting a peace agreement following World War II. The main obstacle remains their differences over sovereignty of the southern Kuril Islands. Following the war, the entire archipelago became part of the Soviet Union, but Japan disputes Russia's sovereignty over Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and a group of small uninhabited islands. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stressed that Russia's sovereignty over these territories, which has been formalized under international law, is beyond doubt.