Japan expressed a resolute protest against the visit by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to the island of Iturup, which Japan claims and which is located at the end of the Kuril chain, near the island of Hokkaido, UNN writes.
Details
Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. protested against Putin's visit, Japan's Foreign Ministry reported on X.
"The Northern Territories, including Iturup, are an integral part of Japan both historically and under international law," Toshimitsu Motegi stated.
"Japan strongly protests this visit," the country's foreign minister emphasized.
Additional information
Putin visited Iturup, as reported by Reuters, a day after major naval exercises and a missile launch by ally North Korea.
Putin visited the Kuril Island of Iturup, disputed with Japan, for the first time13.08.26, 07:59
Moscow and Tokyo have still not signed an official peace treaty dating from World War II, as the main obstacle was the unresolved territorial dispute over the islands that Japan calls the Northern Territories.
The visit took place after North Korea, an ally, launched a ballistic missile on Wednesday toward waters off the eastern part of the Korean Peninsula, several days before large-scale joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington, which Pyongyang has long condemned.