Discussion Of Comprehensive Treaty With Japan Impossible - Russian FM

It is impossible to discuss a comprehensive treaty on relations, including peace, with Japan, which has a clearly unfriendly position toward Russia, Nikolai Nozdrev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third Asian Department (3AD), said in an interview with Sputnik.

Nozdrev said the Russian side had previously been holding talks with Tokyo on a comprehensive document that would meet modern realities and would define the main areas for the accelerated development of the entire range of Russian-Japanese relations.

"As it was emphasized in the statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry of March 21, 2022, it is absolutely impossible to discuss such a treaty with a state that holds openly unfriendly positions and seeks to harm the interests of our country," the diplomat said.

Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that despite the difficult relations with Russia over Ukraine, Japan is firmly committed to solving the territorial problem and concluding a peace treaty.