Russia reacted to the protest made by Japan to Moscow after the visit by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to Iturup Island, part of the Kuril archipelago.

Thus, the Russian Foreign Ministry protested to the Ambassador of Japan Toyohise Kozuki because of the unfriendly actions of Tokyo.

This is stated in a message on the website of the Foreign Ministry.

The Foreign Ministry clarified that on July 26, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Morgulov declared a resolute protest to the Japanese side "in connection with the unfriendly steps taken by official Tokyo in recent days in the context of Japan's territorial claims to our country."

“We persistently called on the partners not to slide into a destructive line in bilateral relations and return to the implementation of the leaders' earlier reached agreements on bringing Russian-Japanese ties to a qualitatively new level through the comprehensive development of trade and economic cooperation, building confidence-building measures in the security sphere, and rapprochement of positions in international affairs. ", - stressed in the ministry.

Earlier, the Russian Embassy in Tokyo reported that the Japanese Foreign Ministry "voiced a" protest "from the Japanese side over the trip of the Russian Prime Minister to Iturup Island.

In response, Russian Ambassador Mikhail Galuzin said that such a protest was unacceptable.

“This protest is unacceptable in light of the principled position of the Russian side on the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands, which passed to our country legally following the results of the Second World War,” the diplomat emphasized.

According to TASS, the Secretary General of the Japanese Cabinet of Ministers Katsunobu Kato said that Mishustin's visit to Iturup "contradicts the consistent position of Japan and deserves the deepest regret."

Mikhail Mishustin began his working trip to the Far East and Siberia on Monday, 26 July.

The program began with a visit to the Kuril Archipelago. 

The order to pay attention to the situation on the Kuril Islands during the trip to the Prime Minister was given by President Vladimir Putin on July 23 at a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council.

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“I would like, Mikhail Vladimirovich, to ask you - you have a large program there, you reported to me, I know - to look at emergency housing in some regions, and medicine, and so on, - but I would ask you to pay special attention to the situation on the Kurilskys islands, ”the president said.

In addition, the President announced "unique and unprecedented" proposals to involve partners from Japan in the economic activities of the Kuril Islands.

During his visit to the island, the prime minister suggested creating a free customs territory in the Kuril Islands, as well as exempting most types of activities from basic taxes.

“This set of measures is unprecedented.

I will consult with Vladimir Vladimirovich about what we could do here, ”Mishustin said.

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Mishustin's visit to Iturup, stressed that the head of the government visits those Russian regions that he considers necessary.

"This is the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and, of course, he visits those Russian regions that he considers necessary and on the development of which, including in cooperation with our partners, there is a lot of work to be done," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

Peskov recalled that Russia has repeatedly conveyed to the Japanese side its position on the ownership of the islands, including during negotiations at various levels. 

“You know that a peace treaty can put an end to this story.

You know that for many years, including by President Putin, considerable efforts have been made to reach this peace treaty, ”he explained.

The Kremlin spokesman drew attention to the fact that there is a strong political will on the part of Moscow to develop good relations with Japan.

Russia, Peskov noted, values ​​very much economic and investment cooperation with Tokyo, and looks forward to its continuation.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly declared the indisputability of Russia's sovereignty over the Kuriles.

Moscow's rights to the islands were enshrined in the 1945 Yalta Agreement.

Japan, having signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender in September 1945, accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, which implied the transfer of the islands to the Soviet Union.

At the same time, a peace treaty following the results of World War II between Japan and the USSR was not concluded.