Japan Trade, Foreign Ministry Officials Visit Russia

Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese government officials currently visiting Russia have held a press conference in Moscow to explain the purpose of their trip. In the briefing at the Japanese Embassy in the Russian capital on Wednesday, senior officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Foreign Ministry explained that the visit was aimed at protecting the assets of Japanese companies doing business in Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine and that officials of the two countries discussed the current business environment. Masayoshi Arai, director-general of the Trade Policy Bureau at the trade ministry, and Masaki Ishikawa, deputy director-general of the European Affairs Bureau at the Foreign Ministry, held meetings with Russian government officials. According to Hidehiko Ishii, head of the Trade Policy Bureau’s office for Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the meetings were held over two days through Wednesday, with some sessions attended by Japanese companies. From the Russian side, officials from the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as representatives of economic groups, attended the meetings. Ishii said that meeting participants discussed the protection of land and facilities owned by Japanese companies in Russia and the easing of restrictions on remittances from Russia. He said that the Russian side listened to Japan’s calls sincerely, and that the two sides agreed to continue communications. Economic cooperation between the two countries has stalled significantly since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The number of Japanese companies doing business in Russia has decreased to about two-thirds of that before the invasion, but more than 100 businesses are continuing operations. Japanese and Russian officials did not discuss specific issues such as the Sakhalin 2 oil and gas development project in Russia’s Far East, in which major Japanese trading houses hold interests. Japan, along with the United States and European countries, has imposed economic sanctions against Russia and continues to support Ukraine. “There has been no change in Japan’s position,” Ishikawa said. Moscow has repeatedly indicated that the lifting of sanctions is necessary for the normalization of economic and diplomatic relations with Japan. It has denied that the latest trip by Japanese officials was made at the invitation of the Russian government. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]