Russia Foreign Ministry announces suspension of agreement with Japan over marine fisheries

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has announced suspension of the 1998 agreement with Japan that permitted Japanese fishermen to fish near the Southern Kuril Islands allocated by Russia. She stated that Japan had frozen the payments that were due under the agreement between the two countries, RIA Novosti. Zakharova said that Tokyo was causing a delay in the signing of the document which was signed annually on the "provision of gratuitous technical assistance to the Sakhalin region." 

Russia has suspended the agreement signed in 1998 with Japan on cooperation in fishing of marine living resources. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed that the agreement will remain suspended until Japan does not fulfil its financial obligations. As per the RIA Novosti report, Maria Zakharova noted that the agreement between Japan and Russia had been formed on the basis of balance of interests between the two countries. Under the agreement signed on February 21 in 1998, Japanese vessels were allowed to do fishing in the Southern Kuril according to an allocated quota for a certain fee. 

Japan imposes sanctions against two Russian banks 

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Japanese government announced sanctions against two Russian banks and one Belarusian bank on Tuesday, June 7. Starting June 7, Japan will freeze the assets of the Russian Agricultural Bank, Credits Bank of Moscow as well as Belarusian bank of Development and Reconstruction, as per the news report. Furthermore, the Japanese government has announced a ban on the export of goods that help in bolstering the production base of Russia. It is pertinent to note here that ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Japan and its allies have been imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support to Ukraine. 

Japan terms Southern Kuril Islands as 'illegally occupied'

Earlier on 22 April, the Japanese government designated the Southern Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories", as the region "illegally occupied" by Russia, Kyodo News reported. The Japanese authorities had made the claim regarding the region in its Diplomatic Bluebook for the first time since 2003, Kyodo News reported. In the bluebook, the Japanese government has termed the islands called the Southern Kurils in Russia and designated as "Northern Territories" in Japan as an "inherent" part of the Japanese territory. 

Image: AP