Japan has not yet made payments under the fisheries agreement with Russia

Flags of Japan on a Tokyo street. File photoTOKYO, Jun 8Japan has not yet made payment under the fishery agreement with the Russian Federation, government secretary general Hirokazu Matsuno said. that payment has not yet been made. As for further business cooperation with the Sakhalin Region, we are considering this taking into account various circumstances,» Matsuno said at a press conference in Tokyo. The day before, Russia announced that Moscow was suspending the implementation of an agreement with Japan on cooperation in the field of harvesting marine living resources until the Japanese side fulfills all its financial obligations. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Tokyo took the line on «freezing» payments due under the agreement, «delaying the signing of the annual executive document on the provision of gratuitous technical assistance to the Sakhalin Region, which is an integral element in ensuring the functioning of this intergovernmental agreement.» Earlier, Matsuno explained that the Russian the party is allegedly linking the issue of business cooperation with the Sakhalin region to an agreement on cooperation in the southern Kuriles, presenting it as «as if (providing technical assistance to Sakhalin) is a precondition.» He stated that this is a source of regret for the Japanese side.