In brief
Lavrov asked Japan to abandon a hostile posture toward Moscow during a meeting in Atlanta, with Japan having joined Western sanctions against Russia. Japanese sources and Reuters confirmed the request, and the two nations had not formally met since 2021. The call comes amid ongoing tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Japan’s counterpart, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, to abandon an “unfriendly policy” toward Moscow and resume full-ended bilateral dialogue during a side meeting at the Group of 20 (G20) foreign‑minister forum in Atlanta on Friday.
Xinhua reported that the meeting was arranged at the Japanese side’s request and took place on the sidelines of the G20 gathering, as Russia seeks to re‑establish a line of communication with Tokyo despite the country’s participation in Western sanctions over the Ukraine war.
Japan has stepped up criticism of Moscow since the outbreak of the Russia‑Ukraine conflict in February 2022, and the meeting marked the first formal encounter between the two foreign ministries since September 2021 when they met briefly in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Japanese media reported that the Russian side said it was ready to resume a full‑fledged dialogue only if Tokyo “abandoned” its “unfriendly” stance, echoing the message conveyed by Lavrov.
“The Russian side emphasized that the resumption of full‑fledged interstate dialogue requires Tokyo to give up unfriendly policies,” the ministry said, quoted by Reuters.
In a separate statement, NHK noted that “Russia stressed the need for Japan to abandon its unfriendly policy in order to resume a full‑fledged bilateral dialogue,” further underscoring the diplomatic pressure placed on Tokyo.
