Japan Expresses Displeasure Over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Visit to Iturup
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup for the first time on Thursday, August 13th. It is one of the Kuril Islands, located at the southern end of the Kuril chain, which is near Japan. Putin’s visit has caused displeasure in Japan, prompting a strong protest against Russia. It is reported that these islands once belonged to Japan. The Kremlin, the Russian presidential palace, released a video of President Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands. Before visiting the Kuril Islands, Putin visited the nearby Russian island of Sakhalin, where the Russian Navy was conducting military exercises. In Sakhalin, Putin held a meeting on “ensuring the security of Russia’s eastern borders.” After observing the naval exercises, Putin visited the Yasny fish-processing plant. State news agency TASS described this as Putin’s first in-person visit to the Kuril Island chain. This visit comes amid a long-standing territorial dispute that has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal World War II peace treaty. Japan calls the disputed islands the Northern Territories. Japan has expressed strong displeasure over Putin’s visit. Relations between Russia and Japan have deteriorated further following Russia’s major invasion of Ukraine in 2012. Meanwhile, Russia’s relations with China and North Korea have strengthened. According to an AFP report, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi strongly opposed the visit, stating that the Northern Territories are Japan’s “rightful territory” under its historical and international-law claims.
Takaichi in Delhi: Japan and India Vow to Deepen Strategic Ties and Boost Economic Security
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in India on Wednesday for a three-day visit from July 1 to 3. This is her first visit to India since becoming Prime Minister. During this visit, she will participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two sides will also review and strengthen the scope of mutual cooperation, and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual benefit. The Japanese Prime Minister was given a grand welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, June 2, and received a guard of honor. Japan-India strategic partnership in light Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday, “Through this visit, I hope to advance concrete cooperation with Prime Minister Modi in three key areas: deepening the Japan-India strategic partnership in light of the current international situation, promoting cooperation in economic security, and strengthening cooperation between the businesses of our two countries in investment and innovation.” The Japan-India Join Economic Forum will be held on the occasion of this visit, in which representatives of more than 150 Japanese companies and business organizations will participate. He said that by working together with the private sector, I hope that the scope of Japan-India cooperation will expand and a stronger economy will emerge. Takaichi said that India and Japan have the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He said that he is looking forward to discussing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. India, along with Japan, is one of the leading democracies in Asia and shares the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Visit India from July 1–3 for 16th India-Japan Annual Summit
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit India next month for a three-day trip. At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he will arrive in New Delhi for his first official visit to India, scheduled from July 1 to July 3. During this visit, he will participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit alongside Prime Minister Modi. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, both sides will use this occasion to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss areas of mutual interest as well as global issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Tokyo last year to attend the summit, during which he invited the Japanese Prime Minister to India for the summit. Following that invitation, the Japanese Prime Minister is now set to visit New Delhi for his first official trip to the country this coming July. The primary objective of this summit is to strengthen relations between the two nations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and defense partnerships. The 16th India-Japan Annual Summit will focus on the Special Strategic and Global Partnership, trade, defense cooperation, the Indo-Pacific region, and various global issues. During the visit, the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation will be reviewed, and the two Prime Ministers will hold discussions on matters of mutual interest.