ATLANTA — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday to discuss the current state of relations between the two countries.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ gathering in the United States and was arranged at Japan’s request, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
During the discussions, Moscow emphasized that restoring full diplomatic engagement would require Japan to change what it described as its hostile policy towards Russia.
Earlier, on October 19, Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said Tokyo intended to maintain necessary communication with Moscow despite strained relations, particularly over the long-standing territorial disagreement involving disputed islands.
Relations between Russia and Japan have deteriorated significantly since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. Japan has joined Western countries in imposing economic sanctions against Moscow, further deepening diplomatic tensions.
The two countries normalized diplomatic relations through a 1956 agreement following World War II. However, their disagreement over a group of islands near Japan’s northern Hokkaido region has prevented them from signing a formal peace treaty.
Japan refers to the disputed territories as the Northern Territories, while Russia identifies them as the Southern Kurils. The islands include Shikotan and the Habomai group.
Tokyo maintains that the former Soviet Union unlawfully took control of the islands shortly after Japan surrendered in 1945. Moscow, however, insists that its acquisition of the territories was legitimate.
The unresolved territorial dispute, combined with disagreements over Japan’s sanctions against Russia, continues to obstruct efforts to improve bilateral relations and establish lasting diplomatic cooperation.
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