In brief
On Oct. 30, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Atlanta and urged Tokyo to drop its unfriendly policy toward Moscow in order to resume full‑scale bilateral dialogue. The meeting followed Japan’s participation in Western sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine and the last formal meeting between the two ministers in 2021. Lavrov’s call comes as Japan continues to criticize Moscow’s actions in the Ukraine conflict.
On Friday, Oct. 30, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of a Group of 20 foreign‑minister gathering in Atlanta, United States, and urged Tokyo to abandon its unfriendly policy toward Moscow to resume full‑fledged bilateral dialogue, Xinhua reported.
The two ministers were at the request of the Japanese side and had not met since September 2021, when they met at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan has joined Western sanctions against Russia and has stepped up criticism of Moscow since the outbreak of the Russia‑Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the Xinhua brief notes.
Lavrov’s appeal follows a broader effort by Russia to re‑engage with Japan in light of the deteriorating diplomatic environment and the ongoing war in Ukraine, as indicated by the ministry’s statement.
Japanese officials have yet to respond publicly to Lavrov’s request, leaving the outcome of the meeting unresolved at this time, the Xinhua report says.