Japanese Secretary General Hayashi hesitated after question about ancestors' graves in the Kuril Islands
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi hesitated after a question about resuming visits to ancestors' graves by former residents of the Kuril Islands. He waited for about a minute until the necessary materials were brought to him, local media reported.
At a press conference, a journalist from the Asahi newspaper recalled that deputy Muneo Suzuki, who visited Russia, called for such visits to be resumed. Hayashi was unable to immediately express the government's position, and there was a pause in the hall for a while.
«I will refrain from commenting on Mr. Suzuki's statements. As for visiting graves in the northern territories (the southern Kuril Islands), the government considers this important in Russian-Japanese relations. Former residents of the islands, especially the elderly, sincerely want to resume,» Hayashi said.
He added that the Japanese government continues to work at various levels, including talks between the Japanese ambassador to Russia and the Russian deputy foreign minister, to convince the Russian side.
Earlier, Hayashi called on his fellow citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia. According to him, Japan will continue to pursue a sanctions policy due to Russia's actions in Ukraine.